The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has reacted to the refusal of the State Security Service (SSS) to release three #RevolutionNow protesters arrested in Osun on Wednesday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the arrest of seven students by the Nigeria’s secret police in Osogbo during a protest against bad governance, lack of infrastructure, extra-judicial activities among others.
On Thursday, the SSS released three of the seven persons to their parents. They are Olowolafe Dunsi, Martins Jesuloni and Gift Martins.
Another person, Oguntola Samuel, was released on Friday while Olawale Bakare, Abiodun Sanusi, and Olatokun Oyedele remain in SSS custody.
Mr Bakare is a co-defendant in the treason charge against the founder of the movement, Omoyele Sowore.
The protesters’ lawyer, Alfred Adegoke, told PREMIUM TIMES that the SSS wants the parents of the protesters to appear before releasing them.
Condemning the security agents’ action, NANS in a statement by its Southwest spokesperson, Kazeem Israel, said, the association will stage another protest if the SSS fails to release the detained persons on Monday.
“The rot in this country has gone beyond silence, it is expected of us all as patriotic persons to be rebellious considering the rate at which our leaders direct our affairs as a people. As a students’ body, we make bold to assert that the manner in which the affairs of the country is managed by those we reposed with the trust of making things right for us as a people is most heart-wrenching.
“The association, having studied the demands of the protesters, make bold to assert that they are legitimate… We demand that the government unconditionally frees the detained protesters.”
“We warn that the leadership of the Zone would be forced to mobilize students down to the barricades should the government fail to release the protesters at the latest Monday.”
This newspaper reported that similar protests were held in other states and the Federal Capital Territory. Those arrested during the protests in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja were released the same day they were arrested.
A court had earlier ruled that the disruption of last year’s protest by the police was against the right to freedom expression and assembly of the arrested individuals.