Socialist activists in Ireland and Britain protested at Nigerian embassies in Dublin and London this week demanding the immediate release of local youth leaders and CWI comrades Babatunde Oluajo and Adaramoye Michael from police detention in Nigeria.
Below is a statement from Democratic Socialist Movement (CWI Nigeria) giving more details of the case and what you can do to help get the two released.
socialistworld.net
Lobby of Nigerian embassy in DublinThe Democratic Socialist Movement campaigns for Struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria. While we didn’t call the #ENDBADGOVERNANCEINNIGERIA campaign, we have stepped up to organise protests as part of the struggle for a better Nigeria. Tragically that has led to our comrades, DSM members, facing repression from the state.
- Babatunde Oluajo, has been detained as was his relative Mosiu Sodiq who happened to be in the apartment when it was raided
- Adaramoye Michael an organiser of Abuja’s #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria campaign was abducted by DSS at 2am on Monday 5th August. He is National Coordinator of Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) and National Mobilisation Officer of Education Rights Campaign (ERC)
- Hassan Taiwo Soweto faced a court order banning him from the protest in Lagos before they had begun because he is a key organiser
- Other comrades are on the run and forced into hiding
Press coverage DSM, BBC, Amnesty International, Sahara Reporters, Blueprint
Please send this Cover Letter and this Protest Letter to your local MP, MP’s in the socialist campaign group and others. The protest letter should be sent directly to the Nigerian ambassador.
We need your help to cover bail, legal costs and the costs of campaigning materials as we fight against these anti-poor policies and campaign for the wealth and resources of Nigeria to be put under the genuine democratic control of the youth and masses instead of the exploitation by corrupt greedy elites we see today. See The Democratic Socialist Movement of Nigeria – a Politics crowdfunding project in Nigeria by Democratic Socialist Movement of Nigeria (crowdfunder.co.uk) to make a donation.
We call for:
- Reversal in the fuel price hike to pre-29 May 2023 levels.
- Reversal of Electricity Tariff Hike.
- End to all neo-liberal policies.
- Reversal of hikes in school fees at tertiary institution and for adequate funding and democratic management of public education at all levels.
- For trade unions, civil societies and communities led actions to ensure price control and prevent price gouging and hoarding of food and other essentials.
- For full implementation of the new minimum wage without retrenchment. Automatic adjustment in the minimum wage in line with the rate of inflation.
- Immediate cut in the salaries and allowances of political office holders and top government functionaries. They must be placed on minimum wage salary structure of civil service.
- Unemployment benefits for young people willing to work but do not get jobs.
- Respect for democratic rights and Free Press. Release of detained journalists and bloggers. No to Police Brutality. Rights of police and other security agencies personnel to form a trade union.
- Adequate Compensation for victims of #EndSARS Protest Clampdown and Immediate Freedom for all #EndSARS protester still in detention.
- Immediate fixing of public refineries and their democratic ownership and management by the working people.
- A price-cap on all petroleum products from the Dangote refinery and other private refineries in order to ensure affordability.
- Public ownership of the banks, financial institutions, industries, oil refineries under democratic workers control and management in order to ensure Nigeria’s economy works for the needs of all and not the greed of a few.
- For full democratic rights, genuinely free and fair elections with no monetary barriers to standing. End the godfathers’ grip.
- For the building of a genuine mass workers party with Socialist programme.
