By Ishaya Ibrahim
The #EndBadGovernace Movement in Lagos on Friday submitted a protest letter to the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba for onward transmission to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere Ekun over the role of judiciary in enabling executive repression of protest and protesters.
The Chief Judge, represented by the Assistant Chief Registrar at the Lagos State High Court, Adekeyin Ademola, received the protesters and assured them that their letter would receive the due attention it requires. He said the Chief Judge, Justice Alogba, who was unavoidably absent, directed him to receive the protesters, and being a man who listens, would act accordingly.
Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto who presented the protest letter to the Chief Judge at the premises of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, urged the Chief Judge to escalate the petition to Justice Kekere Ekun so that the sham trial against the protesters would be discontinued.
Soweto said: “We know that it is not a Lagos matter. But we are hoping and praying to my lord to ensure that this petition is escalated to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for immediate action, and that the Chief Justice of Nigeria will also put heads together with the right people, whether the NBA or the Attorney General of the Federation to say enough to this sham trial. Let our people go.”
Soweto earlier gave a background for the reasons for the August protest.
He said: “We marched in August for 10 days because fuel price has increased astronomically. Electricity tariff was going up. The exchange rate was terrible. The currency was officially devalued. The salaries of everyone were no longer enough to take care of their needs.
“Sir, all of those things I read out for which we marched out in August, for which 40 of our people were murdered by the police across the country, all of those problems have grown more than two or three folds.
“Instead of arresting protesters, and executing them because they protested, the government must answer to their demand.
“Their demand is that those policies must be reversed. Nigeria has enough wealth to make life better for our people. We have no business as Nigerian people with poverty, destitution.”
The group had earlier converged at the Ikeja Under Bridge where they held a demonstration to demand the release of all Nigerians facing treason charges due to their participation in the #EndBadGovernance protest.
The protest coincides with the appearance of 11 protesters before a Federal High Court judge in Abuja on Friday, November 8.
The protesters facing charges of treason include Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, Daniel Amanda, Angel love Innocent, and others.