UPDATE: Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq and the others are now facing trumped up charges including "treason" and "terrorism" charges which could result in the death penalty for simply organising peaceful protests.
Thanks to pressure from campaigning they have finally been given the right to bail but the state has set it to 10 million naira (£4700) each an unaffordable amount in a country where the minimum wage has just reached 70,000 naira (£32) per month. Thanks to your support a number of them have paid bail including Michael and Mosiu but the charges still need to be fought against.
Further pressure has forced the government to drop charges against children, we must continue the campaign so that all protestors have their charges dropped not just 119 people
We can now accept donations via a UK bank account thanks to the support of a solidarity group. Contact us here or by email to get the details.
Please
- Sign our petition form
- Send this Protest Letter to the Nigerian ambassador. (CC [email protected] in emails)
- Make a donation to help us cover the cost of bail, legal and campaign costs
- Raise our model motion in your union branch,
- Use this Cover Letter to contact your local MP to do the same
While we didn't initiate the #ENDBADGOVERNANCEINNIGERIA campaign, we have stepped up to organise protests as part of the struggle for a better Nigeria. Tragically that has led to our comrades facing repression from the state.
- Adaramoye Michael (Lenin) an organiser of Abuja's #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria campaign was abducted by DSS at 2am on Monday 5th August. Coordinator of CDWR, FCT (Abuja) branch
- Babatunde Oluajo, has been detained as was his relative Mosiu Sodiq who happened to be in the apartment when it was raided.
- Hassan Taiwo Soweto faced a court order banning him from the protest in Lagos before they had begun because he is a key organiser
- Other comrades were forced into hiding
Latest Press Coverage New York Times, Sahara Reporters, Nigeria Solidarity
Update #3 Sahara Reporters, NLC Statement, Amnesty International
Update #2 Vanguard , YRC, Vanguard 2, Guardian, Amnesty International
Update #1 Sahara Reporters, Amnesty International (SR)
Initial Press coverage DSM, BBC, Amnesty International, Sahara Reporters , Blueprint
Please send this Cover Letter and this Protest Letter to your local MP, MP's in the socialist campaign group and others. The protest letter should be sent directly to the Nigerian ambassador.
We need your help to cover bail, family travel costs and the costs of campaigning materials as we fight against these anti-poor policies and campaign for the wealth and resources of Nigeria to be put under the genuine democratic control of the youth and masses instead of the exploitation by corrupt greedy elites we see today.
We call for:
- Reversal in the fuel price hike to pre-May 29 levels.
- Reversal of Electricity Tariff Hike
- End to all neo-liberal policies.
- Reversal of hikes in school fees at tertiary institution and for adequate funding and democratic management of public education at all levels.
- For trade unions, civil societies and communities led actions to ensure price control and prevent price gouging and hoarding of food and other essentials.
- For full implementation of the new minimum wage without retrenchment. Automatic adjustment in the minimum wage in line with the rate of inflation.
- Immediate cut in the salaries and allowances of political office holders and top government functionaries. They must be placed on minimum wage salary structure of civil service.
- Unemployment benefits for young people willing to work but do not get jobs
- Respect for democratic rights and Free Press. Release of detained journalists and bloggers. No to Police Brutality. Rights of police and other security agencies personnel to form a trade union.
- Adequate Compensation for victims of #EndSARS Protest Clampdown and Immediate Freedom for all #EndSARS protester still in detention.
- Immediate fixing of public refineries and their democratic ownership and management by the working people.
- A price-cap on all petroleum products from the Dangote refinery and other private refineries in order to ensure affordability.
- Public ownership of the banks, financial institutions, industries, oil refineries under democratic workers control and management in order to ensure Nigeria’s economy works for the needs of all and not the greed of a few.
- For full democratic rights, genuinely free and fair elections with no monetary barriers to standing. End the godfathers’ grip.