Civil rights advocate and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has blasted the Nigerian Police and judiciary for their handling of the recent peaceful #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest. He recently revealed that the actions of the Nigerian Police and judiciary amid the calm demonstrations prove that the country is only pretending to practise democracy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief today, he said that the suppression of protests and court restrictions on citizens’ rights to assemble freely are further proof that Nigeria has strayed from democratic norms.
Disagreeing with the idea of citizens needing police permission to protest, he stated that such a practice is completely unheard of in a democracy.
He maintained that the police should always remember that they are public servants, not gatekeepers of citizens’ rights.
“In a democracy, there should never be a need for a police permit before you may have a protest.
The police were informed so that they would provide security. That a court would presume to curtail the right of citizens to protest peacefully in a democracy is even suggestive of the fact that we’re not in a democracy.
We’re only mimicking and pretending to be in one.
It is ridiculous that citizens would need permission from their paid employees before they can congregate peacefully,” he said.
Farotimi then faulted the judiciary, accusing it of losing its independence and serving the interests of the executive.
The activist concluded by saying that he doesn’t partake in Nigerian protests because he knows protesters are merely making demands to the deaf.
“I’m sorry to say our judiciary is unfit for purpose. It does exactly as it is told by the executive and does not serve the cause of justice.
Why I don’t join protests is because I know they are merely protesting to the deaf. The Nigerian state is deaf; it does not listen.
End SARS, they changed the name to SWAT; today it is RRS. It is the character and nature that have not changed. The Nigerian state does not change anything for anybody. It is not interested in pleasing those who presume themselves to be citizens,” he added.
