In 1994, Nigeria faced a severe crisis following the annulment of elections and protests. General Sani Abacha’s coup led to media closures, harassment, and detention of journalists. The Niger-Delta region was restless, and NADECO members were arrested and charged with treason. The government expanded its power to punish, disbanding the Senate and arresting lawmakers who opposed the government. Bola Tinubu, a pro-democracy activist, was arrested and charged with treason during the #EndBadGovernance protests. The government’s handling of treason charges is concerning, as it cannot allow citizens to follow the same path that led to his rise. The situation is concerning, as it reflects the fear among pro-democracy activists who were imprisoned during Abacha’s rule.
Abacha should be exultant, as he is not the only tyrant whose ignominious history will be tossed into national history. Tinubu and company would personify Orwellian pigs. The #EndBadGovernance protests are treasonable, but the source of support is unclear. The Department of State Services arrested Polish nationals during the protests, possibly using white Europeans to create a sensation. The “foreign-phobia” among security agencies remains unclear.
Adejobi’s document contains various outrageous charges that must be substantiated. I’m not suggesting Adejobi plagiarized Abacha’s tactics, but the claims constitute a terrifying resurgence of the military age. According to him, “preliminary findings suggest they orchestrated and funded violent protests… to create anarchy and justify their illegal plot to overthrow the government.” But what is the pedigree of these people that they can arrange something like a coup? How would their alleged intention to overthrow the government through protests have brought them to Aso Rock? Did they have an arsenal, or were their supposed weapons of war only placards? What plans did they have to take over the National Assembly, for example?
Adejobi is investigating the plan to orchestrate violence across Nigeria, including a shop attendant, and how they established Wynne’s guilt. The quality of the investigation is questionable, as it took less than a month to plan the case. Protests are a democratic right, and charges for crimes of looting or violence during protests cannot stifle the right to protest. The government is preemptively charging protestors with arrests to intimidate them, as Nigeria faces numerous challenges such as economic insecurity, hunger, and the issue of kidnapping. The Tinubu administration is investing administrative time and energy in hounding people for treason, compounding its own problems. The government appears confused by the complexity of the situation and has undone several economic knots, but they know not how to re-tie them. The issue of kidnapping has become a national epidemic, and the police’s impotency has been revealed. The Tinubu regime’s focus on treason and corruption is causing the country to suffer.
