Trade union leaders, socialists and activists are being targeted by the hated neoliberal, capitalist Tinubu regime in Nigeria, who fear new mass protests over the extreme rise in fuel, food and transport prices.
ISA’s campaign to free Daniel Akande and all arrested has, in its first week organised protests and meetings in London, Stockholm, Taipei and elsewhere, alongside protests in Nigeria. Solidarity collections have raised more than $500 and hundreds of protest letters sent to the president and the police.
The serious attack on protests and democratic rights was made absolutely clear last week, when first the President of trade union federation NLC, Joe Ajaero, was arrested on Monday, and then ten activists were charged in court on Wednesday.
Accused of treason
The ten in court in Abuja, including Adaramoye Michael Lenin, member of DSM, Mosiu Sodiq, Eleojo Opaluwa, Abayomi Abiodun, Khalid Aminu and Angel Innocent had all been arrested for over a month. The website All Africa reported from court: “The police arraigned them at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where they pleaded not guilty to all six charges of conspiracy to commit treason, attempting to destabilise Nigeria, seeking to remove the president, waging war against the government, and inciting mutiny”.
Everyone knows they were arrested because of the massive 10 day protests #EndBadGovernance in early August, but government authorities and the police still use the extremely serious fake charges of treason.
Human Rights Watch also reported: “Nigerian authorities have charged 10 protesters who were arrested during protests across Nigeria in August 2024 with treason, which carries a possible death penalty.” “Deji Adeyanju, a lawyer representing the 124 protesters, told Human Rights Watch that his legal team made several attempts to visit the protesters in custody at the Police Intelligence Response Team office in Abuja, but that the authorities refused to grant them access. He said that they had no contact with any of the detainees from the time of their arrest until the arraignment proceedings on September 2, and that the authorities had not officially informed them about the session. Adeyanju said the protesters charged were in handcuffs, looked malnourished, and had rashes on their bodies.”
The judge on Wednesday granted the ten activists bail, with very strict conditions: 10 Million naira each (5,500 euro) which would take 12 years to earn with the official minimum wage that has not even been implemented since the unions went on strike in June to force agreement to be signed. They are also banned from giving interviews and need to have landed property in Abuja to get bail. The court case is scheduled to resume on 27 September.
Ajaero arrested — unions on red alert
The trade union federation NLC responded immediately when its President Joe Ajaero was arrested on Monday: “State of Alert: The Congress places all its affiliates, State Councils, Civil society allies, and the Nigerian populace on red alert. The detention of Comrade Ajaero is an attack not just on the NLC leadership but on the rights of all workers and citizens to organize, protest, and express themselves freely”
“The NLC will not stand by while these rights are trampled upon. This provocation is another attempt by the State to scuttle the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage”.
A number of international unions and trade unionists protested, including Steve North, president of Unison, the largest trade union in the UK. Protests also came from the International Trade Union Conference, ITUC, and the Public Service International, PSI. The Nigerian newspaper Vanguard reported that “trade unions across the world are planning a day of rage to protest and draw global attention to alleged increasing rights abuse, intimidation and persecution of labour leaders in Nigeria”, before the end of September.
ISA solidarity protest in Taipei, Taiwan
Step up the campaign
The situation is very serious and needs continued and stepped up solidarity actions and protest letters, and spreading information about the real situation in Nigeria, caused by capitalism, imperialism and the regime.
As we prepare this, news has also been broken that #RevolutionNow convener Omoyele Sowore was arrested by the DSS at the Lagos airport on his way back to the country. Clearly for no other reason than that he openly supported the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest in August and has also given his endorsement to a new line of protest in October. The regime is getting more and more desperate, making the question of organising more and more difficult for change seekers inside of the country. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) later released.
Our Solidarity and support more than ever before is needed to continue to inspire the comrades, and activists in the country.
For protest letters, use these addresses:
The president: info@statehouse.gov.ng
Police in Abuja: pressforabuja@police.gov.ng
BCC: nigeria.solidarity.campaign@gmail.com
Solidarity contributions (PayPal):
The Crackdown on Activism: Arrests, Intimidation, and Continued Detention of Comrade Daniel Akande, An Urgent Call for Solidarity and Justice
11/09/2024
On Monday, September 9, 2024, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, was arrested by the country’s secret police at the airport as he prepared to attend a Trade Union Conference in the United Kingdom. The NLC swiftly condemned the arrest, describing it as an act of “intimidation and assault” against the labour movement. On the same day, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) reported that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had invaded and taken over its office in Abuja. This brazen invasion came barely 24 hours after SERAP urged President Tinubu to instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to reverse the recent hike in petrol prices.
These actions are part of a troubling pattern of government repression targeting activists, civil society groups, and labour leaders. Earlier, on Sunday, September 1, 2024, Comrade Daniel Akande, a member of the Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights, was unlawfully arrested during a church service by officers of the Nigerian Police’s Inspector General of Police Response Team (IRT) in Guzape District, FCT, Abuja. The officers falsely claimed the arrest was linked to a murder case, seizing both Daniel’s and his wife’s smartphones in the process. This incident exemplifies the continued crackdown on peaceful protesters and activists across the country.
These alarming developments point to a broader governmental effort to stifle dissent and intimidate those who speak out against anti-people policies, particularly in light of the growing opposition to fuel price hikes and economic hardships imposed on Nigerian citizens. Comrade Daniel’s arrest comes shortly after the detention of fellow activists like Adaramoye Michael, Angel Innocent, Mosiu Sodiq and others, who were arrested for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests. Despite their peaceful exercise of their democratic rights, these individuals were charged with treason and terrorism by the government on September 2, 2024. These absurd charges are alarming and raise serious concerns about the Nigerian government’s misuse of the law to suppress dissent.
According to recent reports, law enforcement agencies have compiled additional lists of activists they plan to arrest, with one officer referring to Daniel’s arrest as “the meat is too small,” signaling their intent to further escalate the crackdown on activists. This is a blatant violation of fundamental human rights and serves as a chilling attempt to silence voices calling for social justice and reform. These arrests follow a long history of targeting journalists, many of whom have disappeared and were later discovered to have been unlawfully detained.
Meanwhile, the government has continued to exacerbate the economic suffering of Nigerians. On September 3, 2024, fuel prices skyrocketed to between N855 and N1,400 per liter, depending on the state, following a previous hike from N197 to N618. In addition, the government has introduced a N50 charge for bank transfers exceeding N10,000 and is preparing to raise VAT. These policies are hitting Nigerians hard, with over 63% of the population already living in multidimensional poverty.
The rising cost of living, including school fees and energy prices, is making education and basic needs increasingly unaffordable for the working class. Public universities are hiking tuition fees, pushing university education out of reach for many, while the so-called student loan scheme introduced by the Tinubu administration has proven to be little more than a façade for the government’s refusal to fund the education sector.
In light of these alarming developments, we call on all members of the International communities, labour unions, civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the press to stand in solidarity with us in demanding justice for Comrade Daniel and other detained activists. This is not just about individual arrests—it is about defending our fundamental rights to free expression and protest against unjust government policies.
We Demand:
- The immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Daniel Akande, and other detained activists.
- The dropping of all false charges against Adaramoye Michael, Angel Innocent, Mosiu Sodiq and the other activists, as well as against peaceful protesters.
- An end to the federal government’s persecution of journalists and activists.
- The reversal of the recent hike in petroleum prices.
- A rollback of the electricity tariff increase.
- A reversal of the increase in tuition fees in public universities and the proper funding of the education sector.