Human Rights Coalitions Threaten Mass Action, Demand Immediate and Unconditional Release Of Take It Back Movement National Coordinator, Sanyaolu Juwon

Five human rights and civil society organizations have collectively condemned the  abduction of Sanyaolu Juwon, the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement.

The statement was signed by a coalition of diverse leaders representing a range of movements and parties across Nigeria: Speaker Bright, North-West Coordinator of the TakeitBack Movement; Peluola Adewale, National Mobilization Officer of the Joint Action Front (JAF); Hassan Taiwo Soweto, National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign; Comrade Ayoyinka Oni, Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC) (Lagos Chapter); and Kunle Wizeman Ajayi, National Chair of the Socialist Workers League.

According to the statement released by the human rights coalition, the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Sanyaolu Juwon, who is also a prominent figure in the #June12Protest #WeAreHungry Protests on June 12, 2024, was reportedly arrested at 10:05 pm by security agents in Lagos, Nigeria. The arrest comes after threats from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force to clamp down on peaceful demonstrations scheduled to take place on Democracy Day.

The statement read, “At around 10 pm, Comrade Sanyaolu Juwon, the National Coordinator of the TIB, sent distress messages to members of the movement, stating that he had been arrested and taken to an unknown location. Efforts to reach him have been unsuccessful.

“We are not surprised by this intimidation strategy, but we want to make it clear to the tyrannical Tinubu regime that the arrest is too late. The veil is lifted, and Nigerians can see through the incompetence of this government.

“We want to emphasize that the tactics of the Nigerian security apparatus, already mobilized by the Presidency, are ineffective. Nigerians are undeterred and have resolved to protest against hardship, and nothing will stop them tomorrow.

“We also urge that, instead of wasting time on harassment and arrests, the police should release him immediately, as these acts of human rights violation will be strongly resisted now and in the future.

“Our demands, amid the harsh policies of the Tinubu regime, are an end to hardship, an end to severe hunger, an end to insecurity claiming thousands of lives, a halt to fee hikes, an end to fuel price increases, etc.

“In conclusion, we once again urge Nigeria’s long-suffering people not to succumb to threats and intimidation. Protest is an inalienable right in a democracy. We will not give up until victory is achieved.”