Human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of activists arrested over anti-demolition protests, including Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto, in Lagos, on Wednesday.
Adeyanju made the call in a statement released on Wednesday evening, in which he condemned the arrest of protesters in Lagos and accused the authorities of targeting the poor and criminalising poverty.
Adeyanju urged the authorities to end what he described as punitive actions against citizens demanding their rights.
“I call for the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Soweto and all others who have been wrongfully detained, and urge authorities to stop punishing people for demanding their rights,” he said.
“I strongly condemn the arrest of activists, including Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto, during protests in Lagos,” Adeyanju added.
“Targeting the poor and criminalising poverty is unacceptable. It is not a crime to fight for the downtrodden and oppressed, and no one should be punished for standing up for justice and human dignity.”
He emphasised that activism is central to any democratic society and warned against the suppression of dissent.
“Activism is important to any democratic society, and those who raise their voices for fairness and accountability must be allowed to do so without fear of violence or detention,” he said.
LEADERSHIP recalls that earlier on Wednesday, police officers deployed to the scene of the the protest over demolitions in different parts of Lagos State on Wednesday fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators gathered at the Lagos State House of Assembly complex in Ikeja.
The protests were triggered by widespread anger over ongoing demolition and forced eviction exercises carried out by the Lagos State Government in several low-income and waterfront communities, including Makoko, Owode Onirin and Oworonshoki.
Residents and civil society groups said the demolitions have destroyed homes without adequate notice, compensation or humane resettlement plans, leaving many families homeless and worsening an already severe housing crisis.
