A human rights advocacy group Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR) has described the abduction of Comrade Juwon Sanya-Olu the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement as a ploy to bastardize Nigeria hard-earned nascent democracy.
In a statement signed by the CHSR National President Comrade Alex Omotehinse on Wednesday, the group call for the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted activist whose offense was only linked to being one of the organizers of the We Are Hungry Protest slated for today 12th June 2024.
The group was quick to remind the Nigerian Security Agencies involved in the abduction of the inalienable rights of Nigerians to stage peaceful protest as enshrined in the 1999 constitution.
The statement read:” CHSR call for the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade JUWON SANYA-OLU the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement who was reportedly been abducted on Monday 11th June 2024, by some agent of the state and taken to an unknown destination just because he was one of the organizers of the WE ARE HUNGRY PROTEST slated for today 12th June 2024 in commemoration of democracy day 2024.
“We are using this medium to remind the Nigeria security agencies and state very clearly that protest is part of democracy every Nigerian reserve the right to protest peacefully as its enshrine in the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended.
“Arrest of Comrade JUWON SANYA-OLU by any section of the Nigeria security agencies is a ploy to bastardize our hard-earned nascent democracy.
CHSR wish to remind the Nigeria security agencies that this democracy was achieved through protest during the darkest day of the military rule.
“Several of our leaders in the struggle lost their lives while some who are still alive nursing one terminal disease or the other in the cause of fighting for the enthronement and returning Nigeria to a democratically elected Government.
“In the foregoing, the CHSR without any reservation hereby DEMAND THAT COMRADE JUWON SANYA-OLU SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY UNCONDITIONALLY RELEASE for him to join host of other cadres on the barricade currently exercising their right to freedom of expression in various part of the country in the WE ARE HUNGRY PROTEST.”
