Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mbu
Joseph Mbu has announced a ban on protests within Nigeria’s capital city
advocating the release of the girls kidnapped in April by members of
the Boko Haram sect.
A press statement issued by the controversial police officer, which
announced the ban, said it was necessitated by series of protests,
rallies and demonstrations and counter demonstrations organized by
groups and individuals over the abduction.
The ban on the rallies followed series of attempt by the Nigerian
government to create a fake group of protesters that shifted the blame
of the missing girls from the government to the kidnappers, Boko Haram. “Please note that the Police has not banned all protests and rallies in
Abuja. No”, he said. “What was banned is the #BringBackOurGirls protest;
and it was banned in order to forestall breakdown of law and order in
Abuja”.
The ban immediately attracted heavy public criticism, with former
Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, who is one of the leading
faces in the campaign, accusing Mbu of a lack of sympathy for the
abducted girls because his daughter was not involved.
“If Mbu's daughter was one of 200 daughters of Nigeria held captive
by terrorists and we came out to stand for their cause, would he do
this”? Ezekwesili queried on her Twitter page.
“What Commissioner Mbu should do is reprimand their sponsored thugs who attacked us, women, at our peaceful gathering.
She argued that there was no basis for and no power of the CP to ban
peaceful assembly of any group of persons in the city, as the
#BringBackOurGirls protesters had always maintained civility in the face
of harassment by both the Nigerian Police and hired thugs.
“The FG would do well to send its officials who wish to roll back our
Democracy by infringing on Citizens Rights to my #Democracy101 Class”,
she said.
Protest organizers questioned the legitimacy of the move and eyed a
possible political motive, but police chief Joseph Mbu said the ban was
imposed because of the threat of infiltration from “dangerous elements”.
“The decision to ban
the protest is insane. We are going to court as soon as possible to
challenge the ban,” added the group’s lawyer, Femi Falana.
“It is
illegal because a court of competent jurisdiction has ruled in December
2007 that no police permit is needed to stage a peaceful protest
anywhere in Nigeria.”
“Our Abuja family of #BringBackOurGirls diverse women, men and young
people standing with our #ChibokGirls shall never abandon them. Never!
“No matter how direly they want to take our focus off our #ChibokGirls, we shall not permit them that luxury”.
The #BringBackOurGirls sit-in at the Unity Fountain is in its 49th day.
#BringBackOurGirls #ChibokGirls #BringBackOurGirls #ChibokGirls #BringBackOurGirls #ChibokGirls
