A Lagos-based lawyer, Ebu-Olu Adegboruwa has reacted to the statement made by Police Force spokesperson, CSP Jimoh Moshood, to the extent that the sit-at-home protest of IPOB slated for May 30, 2017, to celebrate the state of Biafra, is illegal.
Adegboruwa posited that every Nigerian citizen has freedom of expression, noting that the Police spokesperson could not cite any law to back up its declaration of the planned protest “unlawful’.
According to the lawyer, “Under and by virtue of section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, every citizen has the freedom of expression. Sit at home, is a form of peaceful disobedience, recognized worldwide and employed as peaceful protest. It is meant to express dissatisfaction, in a peaceful manner.
“Under and by virtue of section 38 of the self same Constitution, every citizen has the freedom of movement, which includes freedom not to move. As government and the police cannot restrain movement, they cannot also compel movement. A citizen of Nigeria has absolute right to decide to move or not to move and this cannot amount to a crime under any law, to warrant the threat by the police.
“On May 29, 2015, General Buhari and his Vice, took a solemn oath to defend the Constitution and they cannot now seek to renege on that oath, by purporting to declare the Biafra sit at home illegal.
” I’m therefore calling on the President and the Vice President, to defend the constitution, by calling the Inspector General of Police to order. Let no Nigerian be harassed, molested, intimidated, arrested or detained, merely for daring to exercise his or her constitutional rights.
“I support the Biafra sit at home and urge the leadership of IPOB to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to ensure that it is peaceful and well coordinated. I urge all lawyers, activists and the good people of Nigeria, to join and support the Biafra sit at home and to resist the illegal attempt by the police to declare the exercise of a legal right, as illegal.
“To this extent, the threat by the police is illegal and unconstitutional and should be withdrawn. We are not under military rule but operating a democracy, propelled by the rule of law.”
