Activists from Nigeria Solidarity, quickly organised a protest at the Nigerian High Commission in London on Monday 9 September in response to the attacks on the workers’ and anti-austerity movements. The protest supported the #EndBadGovernance protesters and the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) by submitting a petition demanding the release of Nigerian Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero, as well as Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, Daniel Akande, and all those incarcerated in connection with the recent #EndBadGovernance protests.
Joe Ajaero, who was arrested early on the Monday, was released later that day without his passport, after 15 hours of questioning by the secret police over alleged terrorism financing.
Micheal Lenin, who was arrested on Sunday 5 August, now falsely charged alongside others with treason, is the National Coordinator of the YRC. If found guilty, they could face a death sentence, the maximum penalty in Nigeria for treason. The YRC group played crucial roles in the #EndSARs protest four years ago and also in the ten days of protests that rocked Nigeria last month over increasing hunger and hardship.
This demo is part of international solidarity actions planned by the YRC and the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) to rally activists, trade unionists, youth groups and socialists across the world to raise awareness about the repression and budding dictatorship in Nigeria. Its aim is to build sustained pressure on the Nigerian government as Adaramoye Michael Lenin and nine others appear at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday 11 September, for a ruling on their bail application. Similar activities are planned in Nigeria on the day of the court sitting.
Speaking during the demo, I said: “Socialists, working people and youth across the world are inspired by the #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria. We extend our solidarity to the working class and youth in Nigeria in their struggle against fuel price hikes, anti-poor economic policies and attacks on democratic rights. We call on President Tinubu to halt the repression and release all those imprisoned now. Only a socialist Nigeria can end the economic crisis facing the country”.
We will continue to raise the issues of the repression in Nigeria within the trade unions, students unions and socialist movement with a view to build more support for the struggle against the horrendous impact on most Nigerians of the government’s neo-liberal policies in Nigeria.
We Say:
- Drop ‘treason’ and ‘terrorism’ charges against protest organisers
- Defend the right to protest, and free the hundreds detained for protesting
- Fight to defend Nigerians from economic and social collapse
Nigeria Solidarity 