Release Sowore, other protesters now — NLC

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has charged the Federal Government to immediately release Sowore and other protesters arrested by security agencies on Monday during a protest.

The General Secretary of the NLC Comrade Peter Ozo-Eson made the call in statement yesterday.

“There is nowhere in our constitution or laws that the security agencies are empowered to so brazenly attack peaceful protests and hound its organisers into detention as the right to peaceful protests, assembly and association is fully guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under sections 39 and 40,” he said.

The union further referred to the attack on protesters by security forces as a total violation of the fundamental rights Nigerian citizens as guaranteed by the constitution as well as various reported judgements of our Courts.

He described peaceful protests against bad governance or perceived anti-people government policies as one of the critical fundamental rights that expands the entrenchment and growth of democracy.

“Our security agencies must not be allowed to continue to portray themselves as anti-democracy forces as the Monday attacks so clearly demonstrated,” he said.

“We also view the midnight arrest of one of the organisers of the protests, Mr. Omoyele Sowore as an affront on his fundamental rights as well as our collective rights to freedom of expression and association as enshrined in all the international and national instruments that strengthens democracy,” he added.