By Afeez Bolaji
Might Nigeria’s secret police – the Department of State Security aka DSS – be holding a Nigerian academic in connection with the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protest? This is what an Africa Edition of the University World News is reporting. The current version of the report starts by stating how several lawyers and rights activists have called for the immediate release of Dr Abubakar Alkali, a lecturer from Baze University in Abuja, who was arrested and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS), a secret police unit in Nigeria, three weeks ago for allegedly supporting the recent #End Bad Governance protests.
The report originally titled “Lecturer allegedly held over End Bad Governance protest” goes on as follows: The DSS reportedly arrested Alkali in Abuja, Nigeria’s administrative capital, and took him into custody in Sokoto State, north-western Nigeria.
A human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, told University World News: “The entire arrest and detention is not supported by law. It constitutes a gross violation of human rights, and he should be released immediately.”
Okechukwu Nwanguma, the executive director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), also demanded the “unconditional release” of the academic, urging the government to stop a further clampdown on dissent and to respect human rights.
Thousands of Nigerians took to the streets nationwide from 1-10 August to protest widespread hardship in the country occasioned by rocketing increases in the cost of living. The protests were hijacked by hoodlums in some states, leading to the looting of public facilities and private businesses as well as the flying of Russian flags. This made the DSS and other security agencies crack down on the demonstrators, whom they accused of pushing for military takeover from the President Bola Tinubu administration.
University World News reported at the time how the DSS detained six Polish students and their lecturer while they were taking photographs of the protests. The Polish, who were on a study tour at Bayero University, Kano, were later released after spending about two weeks in custody.
Facebook Post Raises Alarm
Alkali’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, raised the alarm over his detention by the DSS in a Facebook post on Saturday, 14 September.
“Dr Abubakar Alkali, senior lecturer, department of petroleum and gas engineering, faculty of engineering, Baze University, was abducted by the DSS three weeks ago and taken to Sokoto State for supporting the End Bad Governance protest. He has been in custody since then,” he wrote.
Adeyanju, an activist and one of the organisers of the protests, told University World News that Alkali had been arraigned before a court in Sokoto, but said efforts are on to secure his release.
“The Nigerian Bar Association’s citizens department committee is offering support to him, and we are in touch with the association’s branch in Sokoto over the matter. We are making interventions to ensure his release this week.
“He was charged with criminal conspiracy, disturbance of public peace, and mischief in relation to the protest. It was some of his colleagues at the university who reached out to me about his arrest and detention. [The Nigerian Bar Association] is fully in charge of his case,” he said.
The DSS does not have a spokesperson currently, but an official who spoke to University World News, but who does not want to be named, confirmed Alkali’s detention.
“Yes, he was arrested and had been charged in court,” the official simply said, declining to make further comments.
Lecturer’s Detention Stirs Anger
The Facebook post on Alkali’s detention elicited heated reactions, with many Nigerians on the social media platform condemning the act.
“What gives me more headaches is that we can’t protest. What can we do to make sure the government hears our voices? When are we going to feel better in this country?” Timothy Adenekan queried.
Another Facebook user, Blessing Obatarhe, decried the attempt to gag freedom of expression, noting that some political leaders in the current government once led protests against a previous administration.
Human Rights Violation
Ogun, the human rights lawyer, also pointed out that Alkali’s arrest and detention for supporting protests violated Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of expression.
“After arresting him, he ought to have been arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction within 48 hours. The lecturer in question has been in detention for three weeks. Clearly, his right to personal liberty guaranteed under Section 34 of the Constitution has been arbitrarily breached.
“Charging him for supporting or joining the protest is an abuse of court process. It amounts to taking advantage of the justice system to intimidate and oppress the people. The DSS should withdraw the charge and free the lecturer,” he stated.
Nwanguma of RULAAC added: “The government’s outrageous actions violating human rights and civil liberties undermine democracy and threaten national stability. The administration’s tactics, including the harassment and arrest of dissenters, are contributing to a climate of fear and repression.
“The government has eroded rather than upheld democratic values, failed to ensure freedom of expression, and address public grievances effectively. For the umpteenth time, RULAAC calls on President Tinubu to respect and protect democratic principles, engage with citizens and combat the challenges of hardship and insecurity, as these are crucial for fostering a more inclusive and just society,” he said.
