The former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately order the unconditional release of all hunger protesters detained by the police and other security forces.
In a statement released on Sunday in Abuja, Frank also urged the President to prevent further violence and the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters by law enforcement agencies.
He criticiaed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for what he called the latter's antagonistic stance towards the protesters and suggested that President Tinubu should dismiss him if he continues to show disrespect towards Nigerian youths.
"Nigerians have the inalienable right to protest against government policies that adversely affect them and to demand changes for the collective good," Frank stated.
He acknowledged that while the ongoing protests are well-intentioned, they have been exploited by sponsored groups in some states, which have aimed to discredit the organizers and provide security forces with an excuse to suppress the demonstrations.
"This should not be the case. The vacation Judge in Abuja who curtailed the rights of protesters by unjustly restricting them to the Moshood Abiola Stadium and other public spaces in Lagos also ruled that the police and other security agencies should protect the protesters both in Abuja and other parts of the country," he noted.
Frank criticised the security forces for failing to adhere to the court's order, which resulted in the unjust killings, arrests, brutalisation, and incarceration of protesters, as well as the hijacking of protests by government-sponsored agents to perpetuate criminal acts.
"This situation must not be allowed to continue. The President must genuinely protect the youths who are protesting. He must approach the protesters like a father dealing with an angry child. After all, the youths have no other country to call their own."
As the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, Frank condemned FCT Minister Wike for obtaining a biased court order that sought to confine protesters to the Abuja Stadium. He also praised the courage of the demonstrators who defied the order.
"The enforcement of this unjust order has led to peaceful protesters being tear-gassed by the police, arrested, and detained in large numbers, alongside the harassment of journalists," Frank emphasised.
He warned that any further acts of aggression against peaceful protesters by the police and other security agencies could escalate tensions and provoke resistance from the protesters.
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Frank called for the international community to closely monitor the ongoing protests and the security forces' brutal responses. He urged the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union to impose visa bans on the FCT Minister and the chiefs of police and the army responsible for the mistreatment of protesters.
Expressing condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured, Frank urged the International Criminal Court to hold the Inspector General of Police and all Service Chiefs in Nigeria accountable for the killings of unarmed protesters in recent days.
He vowed to petition the ICC to prosecute Wike and the IGP for ordering the police to use tear gas and live ammunition against unarmed peaceful protesters in Abuja and Kano, respectively.
Frank urged the Federal Government to avoid using force against the protesters, stating that "only dialogue and peaceful engagements can bring the much-needed resolution to the protests."
