The police have arrested journalists and others who directly and indirectly support the RevolutionNow protest, spearheaded by the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, now in detention at the Department of State Security (DSS) facilities.
Those who were arrested today, August 5 are the video editor and cameraman with Sahara Reporters,Victor Ogungbenro and eight others in Lagos State as well as the former Politics Editor of Daily Trustnewspaper, Ibrahim Dan-Halilu, who was arrested in Kaduna for allegedly showed his support for the RevolutionNow in a Facebook post.
It was gathered that already Victor Ogungbenro and eight others have been detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos State, while Dan-Halilu is being detained in Kaduna.
A colleague of Victor Ogungbenro, who witnessed the arrest in Lagos said: “we kept telling them that he is with Sahara Reporters but instead that worsened the case and made them take him away.
“They did not allow him to identify himself. He was beaten and dragged on the floor while being taken away.”
Information from Kaduna said that Operatives of DSS had stormed Dan-Halilu’s residence in Rigachikun, Kaduna State and whisked him away at about 2am.
Dan-Halilu was said to have posted on his Facebook timeline, a message in which he endorsed and supported the activities of #RevolutionNow.
The post reads: “I feel I should share because it resonates with me. If resonates with you too, please share until all oppressed people of Nigeria get the message and domesticate it. This is #Not the Nigeria of My Dream.
“Somebody asked me why we need a revolution now, this was my reply: The aim of the revolution is to challenge the uncommon hardship why we have 16m children on the street; challenge why we have become the poverty capital of the world; challenge why we have 20 persons with corrupt cases as federal legislators and would-be Ministers.
“We need to restructure the country. We need to put an end to trillions spent on electricity while we live in darkness and pay estimated bill for electricity and meters. Why do we have huge oil reserves but our refineries are dead and we are re-importing what we exported as crude oil? It is time to ask why those in government travel abroad for medical care when they have left our hospitals dilapidated; why they send their children to school abroad when our children learn under mango trees.
“We are revolting against the continuing killings that have left 20,000 Nigerians dead while those in office move around under state paid security and do nothing. We are revolting against the because over a thousand Nigerians soldiers killed by Boko Haram have been secretly buried without identifiable graves, dignity or honour. $16m was purportedly spent on mosquito nets but our children die daily from malaria. $320m Abacha loot was purportedly distributed to the poor. Where is the verifiable list? N500bn was purportedly distributed to the poor as so-called Trader-moni. Where is the verifiable list?”
“…With divine grace, God gave us about 40 natural resources spread across the length and breadth of the country. No country on mother earth is as blessed! The persons destroying Nigeria in and out of government are less than 10,000. For how long will the 201 million of us be silent? Forever? It will be sheer stupidity and very unfair of us to be silent and bequeath today’s sorry Nigeria to our children. For how long shall we continue to endure bad leadership from certificate forgers, election riggers, ritualists and yahoo politicians, hoping upon hope for a better tomorrow when things get worse by the day? We are too rich to be poor. We are too blessed to be a mockery of the world!!! No!!!”
Meanwhile, security source who spoke to PRNigeria in confidence, confirmed that DSS operatives had invited the former DailyTrust Editor on Monday night. He however, pointed out that the reason behind the detention of Dan-Halilu was not for any serious issue.
“Contrary to the speculation going rounds, DSS just wants to get some necessary clarification from Mr. Dan-Halilu on vital security issues. That’s all and nothing more,” he said.
