....... Demands the immediate release of Micheal Lenin and others Protest Leaders currently being detained by Security agents 

......Frowns at the use of Thugs to Attack Protesters in Lagos and Abuja 

.......Decries the Use of Curfews by State Governors to frustrate Citizens' Nationwide Protests 

The United Action Front of Civil Society again, wishes to observe that reports from our Protests field Monitors in Abuja, Lagos and other Cities of Nigeria from our monitors have it that both security agents and politically sponsored thugs have consistently disrupted and dispersed lawful assembly of peaceful protesters at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, the venue designated by the court for the anti Hunger protesters for no reason at all, inspite of insisting earlier that the Abuja protests must be confined to Moshood Abiola Stadium. This use of unwarranted force on civil protesters is high handed and oppressive to law abiding citizens.

Reports also have it that some leaders of the Protests in Abuja, who include Mr Micheal Lenin, among others are still being detained and tortured by the Security agents, who abducted them and at their residences in the dead of the night following their open criticism of President Bola Tinubu's Address to the Nation. For us, it's quite sad that Nigeria is beginning to operate a Police State under a democratic regime as in the dark days of General Sanni Abacha.

In order to avoid further umbrage of the citizens, we call on security agents to immediately release Lenin and others, who still being illegally detained by the State so as not to drive the popular and open protestations of the citizens underground and turn them into violent engagements of the state as history as proven that those who make peaceful protests impossible for Citizens, have always made violent ones inevitable. 

Again, our observations of the protests in Lagos, especially in Alausa, Lekki and Ojota axis have shown connivance between security agents and sponsored hoodlums who randomly unleashed mayhem on peaceful Protesters with hard objects and tear gas cannisters, injuring several unarmed and defenceless protesters in the process. 

Similarly, as Leaders of the Conscience of our country, we frown heavily at this resort to violence by the Police in most northern states as well as the use of Curfews to frustrate the civil rights of citizens to express their dissatisfaction to government policies in the country contrary to the assurances given to us by the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun during our consultative meeting with him last week. 

Lastly, we find the growing show of force by security agents and the undemocratic use of state power by sub national authorities unacceptable and subversive of the democratic will of the citizens and therefore call on the President to immediately intervene by calling those involved to order, while initiating dialogue with protest leaders on their key demands as announced in his address to the Nation before the situation get out of hand. 

Signed 

Olawale Okunniyi 

(Veteran Che)

Head, Coordinating Secretariat 

United Action Front of Civil Society