The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland Iba Gani Adams has joined other high profile personalities to condemn the Nigeria police for shooting activist and convener of Revolution Now, Omoyele Sowore, during a protest at the Unity Fountain in Abuja.
The generalissimo, through his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, gave the charge in a statement issued to journalists on Monday.
Adams faulted the disruption of peaceful protests and opening of fire on unarmed protesters by the police and asked for the investigation of the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
He stressed that the culprit must be brought to justice.
“Nigeria is heading towards a tailspin. How can you explain the attack on peaceful protesters in a country that prides itself as being democratic? The attack was a show of shame. It was a reflection of Federal Government’s intolerance to opposition. It is only in Nigeria that the government feels uncomfortable with opposing voices. In developed climes, democracy is about being tolerant with opposition.”
However, Adams called on the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the problem of insecurity consuming the country.
The Yoruba generalissimo said any attempt to eliminate Sowore would be resisted by well-meaning Nigerians.
“What else does this government want from the young activist? FG had restricted his movements to Abuja and his freedom and businesses had been trampled upon. He couldn’t have access to his immediate family. So what does the FG want from the activist?” he said.
The Coalition for Revolution has also demanded justice for Sowore.
In a statement issued by the co-conveners of the group, Baba Aye and Gbenga Komolafe, CORE condemned what it described as an assassination attempt on the activist.
The group also requested that all police officers involved in the attack be brought to justice.
The statement read, “Omoyele Sowore, National Chair of the African Action Congress was shot this morning by the bestial Nigeria Police Force as he tried to muster support for a demonstration to protest insecurity across the country, organised by a sister civil society body.
”Coalition for Revolution condemns this attempted assassination in the most categorical of terms. We demand that all police officers involved in this brutal attack at the Unity Fountain, Abuja be brought to book, immediately. This is the last in a series of repressive measures meted out against the activist and citizen journalist.
”It would be recalled that Sowore, who is also National Convener of the Take It Back (TiB) movement, an affiliate of CORE, was illegally detained from 3rd August to 24th December 2019, by the secret police. Despite a series of court orders, the state did not release him until there was a groundswell of protests.
”On being released, he was restricted with draconian bail conditions to Abuja. He was again arrested at the beginning of the year for organising a peaceful candlelight protest, along with four other TiB members, for eleven days.
”This last act is the straw which must break the proverbial camel’s back. We thus demand all police officers involved in the shooting be brought to book immediately.
“All trumped-up charges against Omoyele Sowore be dropped forthwith. Sowore’s constitutional rights and freedoms to speech, movement, etc be fully and unconditionally restored.”