Despite the Federal Government order banning the RevolutionNow protest called by the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, some activists have marched out to demonstrate the protest.
The security operatives had laid siege on the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos as a way of preventing the RevolutionNow protest from holding, but the peaceful demonstration is, however, in progress as at the time of filling this report.
The security agents, whose OP MESA vans were seen parked around the stadium, form a joint Internal Security Operational platform made up of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
It could be recalled that Mr. Omoyele Sowore, publisher of the online medium, Sahara Reporters, who was also the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the February 2019 General Election, had called for the staging of the #RevolutionNow in what he described as a protest against bad governance in the country.
One of the RevolutionNow protesters being pushed into a waiting van by Security Operatives during the on-going protest at National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos
He was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services at his home on Saturday and since then, he had been detained at the DSS office in Lagos.
Sources said the DSS have intensified plans to transfer the AAC Presidential candidate to Abuja by Tuesday.
WHY SOWORE WAS ARRESTED
The DSS claimed Sowore was arrested “for threatening public safety, peaceful co-existence and social harmony in the country.”
The agency called on Nigerians to disregard “threat of revolution” issued by him.
But the organisers of the protest had, however, insisted that they will not be deterred by the arrest of their leader, Sowore.
One of the them, who is the General Secretary, United Action for Democracy and member of the Socialist Workers and Youth League, Mr. Kunle Ajayi, had vowed to go on with the mass action.
“#RevolutionNow: They think they can stop an idea whose time has come. You have plenty to arrest. We will show you all that our generation cannot continue with your state madness. We will hand over a better world to our children. The time to act is now!!!” Ajayi said via his Twitter handle, @AjayiWizeman on Saturday.
Security operative seen using hand ‘Pepper stray’ to disperse protesters around stadium in Lagos earlier on Monday
Ajayi’s post was accompanied with a picture showing five members of the protest group holding a banner with the inscription, “#RevolutionNow. Time to act is now!”
“This arrest is not surprising to us. We know that the Presidency has tried everything in their powers to discredit and dampen our struggle,” he said.
Ajayi, in a statement on Saturday, had spoken on behalf of the Lagos chapter of the AAC, calling for more mobilisation in defiance of the government order banning the scheduled action.
He said, “The Lagos branch of the African Action Congress condemns Sowore’s arrest and (President Muhammadu) Buhari’s stubborn and cruel antidemocratic credentials.
“We believe that the #RevolutionNow will outlive all forces of repression, particularly the Buhari Presidency.
“We call on the Coalition for Revolution and other organisers to continue with the mobilisation. A failed government cannot use force to make the mass of people to accept its failure.”
Another group, the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, vowed that the mass action planned to commence on Monday would go on as planned despite Sowore’s arrest.
Look at your shameless men showing their strength, calling for reinforcements on not so much a gathering of harmless and law abiding Nigerians. #RevolutionIsNow pic.twitter.com/AeRuQjniYY
— Moyinoluwa (@firstclassjerry) August 5, 2019
Samson Oyedeyi
