A coalition of civil society groups under the aegis of the Forum of
Non-Governmental Organisations in Nigeria, on Wednesday, confirmed that
it had received a police permit prior to its protest at the US embassy
in Abuja, urging the United States not to grant former Vice-President
Atiku Abubakar a visa.
The National Convener of the forum, Wole Badmus, in a telephone interview , described the protest as peaceful.
Badmus also denied claims that the groups did not obtain a police permit before embarking on a protest against Atiku, who is also the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 election.
The activist stated, “I got one (police permit), of course. If I didn’t get it, why would I be allowed (to protest)? Who is creating that devilish, satanic and injurious news for you people? I have a copy of the permit with me.”
Asked when he obtained the permit, he said, “Is it (important) when I got it? Is there a law that says ‘this is when you should get it’? I got the police permit before today.”
Last week, the convener of a non-governmental organisation, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, and two others, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams, were arrested for leading a protest to the Force headquarters, Abuja against alleged partisanship by the police for sealing the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
The accused persons were quickly arraigned in Karshi Magistrates’ Court, Abuja and remanded in Keffi prisons, Nasarawa State.
The men were charged with criminal conspiracy, public nuisance, disturbance of public peace, and threat to public security and safety, criminal defamatory and derogatory conduct against constituted authority and breach of law and order under sections 96, 113, 114, 152, 183 and 391 of the Penal Code.
Following their release on Monday, Adeyanju was again remanded in prison custody by a Wuse II Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, following his arraignment on charges of cyber-stalking, inciting disturbance and criminal defamation by the police.
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Society