POLICE ARREST 71 PRODEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS

[Steve Kretzmann <steve@moles.org>]

  >From Nigeria Today: Friday 26  September  1997  =
  
  
  POLICE ARREST 71 PRODEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
  
  Radical human rights activist and lawyer Dr Tunji Abayomi was yesterday
  arrested along with 70 other people at a conference on democracy. A
  statement from Abayomi's office said state security agents made the
  arrests at 10 a.m.  at  Rossy Hotel in Jos, Plateau State, where the conference
  for students was to be held. "The arrest violates the fundamental rights
  of the citizens to freely associate as guaranteed by the Nigerian
  constitution," the statement said. "We condemn the arrest and therefore
  call for the release of Dr Tunji Abayomi and 70 others." Abayomi,
  chairman of the Human Rights Africa pressure group, has been detained and
  questioned on numerous occasions. He represented former military ruler
  General Olusegun Obasanjo in a 1995 trial for coup plotting, for which
  Obasanjo is serving a 15-year prison sentence.  Plateau State police has
  denied that any arrests took place. But an eye witness said an unmarked
  police van took the activists away in batches to an unknown destination.
  Sources said the authorities
  got wind of the conference through a routine submission of lodgers' names by
  the hotel for security clearance. The government had last year issued a
  directive to hotel proprietors  in the country to inform security agents
  of lodgers ''whose activities are suspect''.  
  
  Yesterday's arrests came on the heels of a warning issued by  Nigeria's
  opposition radio that  ''the junta's sadistic security agents have
  concluded plans to step up high voltage torture on suspects''.  Radio
  Kudirat, named after the assassinated wife of presidential claimant,
  Chief Moshood Abiola last December warned a prominent activist former Senator,
  Chief Abraham Adesanya of a plot to assassinate him. Two days later,
  unknown gun men opened fire on him, but he escaped unhurt. ''Radio
  Kudirat is strongly alerting pro-democracy activists in the country about this
  latest sinister machinations of the Abacha junta. All crusaders for a
  better Nigeria, should please watch their movements in their own
  interest.
  
  They should raise an immediate deafening alarm anytime the whereabout of
  any of their colleague is unknown. The Abacha killer-prowlers are on the
  loose. Eternal vigilance is imperative. Genuine democracy shall survive
  the dying General.  year ''  the radio station was monitored as saying  in
  Abuja last night. The latest round of arrests is the first time such
  numbers of activists will be picked in a single swoop. Radio Kudirat said
  more of such arrests should be expected as the government concludes plans
  for fresh repression. ''Those pencilled for renewed severe torture to
  attract confessional statements regarding recent bombings in Nigeria
  are:=
  
  Dr Frederick Fasehun and Otunba Olabiyi Durojaiye, already in harsh
  detention conditions since December last year.  Notable journalists in
  the torture list are Nosa Igiebor, editor in chief of Tell Magazine and Lanre
  
  Arogundade, Chairman, Lagos chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
  Other innocent Nigerians marked for arrest and malicious coercion are:
  indefatigable human rights campaigners, Mr Femi Falana, Sylvester
  Odion-Akhaine, Yinka Odumakin, Dr Josephine Okei, and Reverend Adebiyi''.
  
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