…Activist cry out in Benin
By Efe Uhunamure
Benin City – In an apparent bid to fish out the perpetrators of the #End Bad Governance in Nigeria protest that swept round the country last week, the police has launched a manhunt for suspected sponsors of what looked like citizen’s revolt against the political leadership of the country.
While the police had arrested some hundreds of the protesters who are mainly underage children across the various cities in Nigeria, credible information revealed that they have set a dragnet to rein in all alleged sponsors of the protest especially vocal personalities and civil rights activists who had criticized policies of the Tinubu administration in Nigeria.
Also of interest to the police are those alleged to have massively produced and supplied Russian flags that were displayed during the protests and vowed that none of the suspects would be spared .
The government seems to have declared war on activism and have vowed to deal with all “political enemies masquerading as activists”.
We also gathered that undercover policemen are closing in on the social critics including one OSARENKHOE DESTINY OGHOSA, a vocal music artiste in Benin City raising fears and trepidation in that circle with many going underground for fear of being arrested by the police.
The Benin vocal critic is accused of masterminding an attempted jail break in the Benin metropolis similar to the End SARS protest in 2020 experience that resulted in the prison break and escape of prisoners and detainees alike.
According to Mr Osarenkhoe Destiny who spoke with our reporter,he is being accused of using his music which focuses on themes for social justice, equality and speaking against societal ills, the vices that have perpetually kept millions of Nigerians under the weight of bad governance.
He said despite the fact that he Destiny Osarenkhoe had deployed several tactics to beat the security tab on him by agents of the government, he had faced persecution from invincible nuctonal groups as was the case when he was wrapping up a video shoot for his song titled “OBI” and got warnings at midnight to stop his activism or be made to “disappear” like others who had opposed the government.
Also, one of the protest flag producers, identified as Ahmed Bello, has been arrested with a large quantity of Russian flags in Kano.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee joint press briefing.
He added that the police were on the trail of other suspects, especially the sponsors of the protest which led to the destruction of government properties in Kaduna and Kano States
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee joint press briefing.
Adejobi said the suspects committed a treasonable felony,offence by waving a foreign country’s flag in Nigeria.
He said, “So we need to set the record straight. It is important for us to know, so far so good we have been able to arrest some individuals who were engaging themselves in what I call a treasonable felony while we are still going after their sponsors.
“To carry the flags of a foreign country in another country is a criminal offence. We have them arrested. Just this morning, we have arrested one Ahmed Bello from Kano State for producing a large quantity of Russian flags given to young Nigerians to go and fly for reasons best known known to him.
The police said, protesters in Benin City had made attempts to invade the DSS office in the state with the intention to free persons who in their opinions were being unjustly detained there-in forcing the law enforcement agencies to disperse them.
