Nobel
laureate , Prof Wole Soyinka yesterday said the Nigerian Police has no right to
stop conveners of the bringbackourgirls campaign from protersting,since it is
their fundamental human right .
He
gave the charge yesterday at a fora in Lagos.
Meanwhile,
Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has described the ban by Inspector-General of
Police Ibrahim Idris, on public protests in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
as illegal.
Ibrahim
gave the directive on Wednesday following a “clash” between the Bring Back Our
Girls (BBOG) campaigners and a pro- President Muhammadu Buhari group in Abuja,
on Wednesday.
Falana
lamented that through the ban, the IGP had “exposed the federal government to
avoidable embarrassment.”
He
said: “Sequel to the purported clash, the Inspector-General of Police had
called the BBOG members and announced an illegal ban on public protests in the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Since
the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people (including former members of the
All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) who are now in the All Progressives Congress
(APC)-led government) to assemble peacefully and demonstrate without any
official harassment have been upheld by Nigerian courts, the illegal ban on
public protests in the Federal Capital Territory by the Inspector-General of
Police will not be allowed to stand.
“More
so, that it is principally aimed at stopping the demand for the unconditionally
release of the Chibok girls from the illegal incarceration of the Boko Haram
sect.”
Falana
said instead of “demonizing” the BBOG campaigners, the country owed them a duty
“for upholding our collective humanity.”
He
continued: “By accusing the BBOG campaigners of engaging in subversion by
legitimately demanding for the abducted Chibok girls, the Inspector-General of
Police has exposed the federal government to avoidable embarrassment.
“Since
the BBOG members have demonstrated unprecedented courage and
determination to continue to protest until Chibok girls are brought back home,
the police and the security forces should be directed by President Muha
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