ARRESTS, INTIMIDATION SUCCESSFULLY QUASH PROTESTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 000923

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM ELAB NI ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: ARRESTS, INTIMIDATION SUCCESSFULLY QUASH PROTESTS

REF: ABUJA 852

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1. Despite harsh rhetoric by Nigerian opposition candidates,
labor leaders, and civil society, promises of mass action to
protest the Nigerian elections have largely gone unfilled.
Labor rallies were held on May 1 (reftel),but were tightly
controlled and largely peaceful. Civil society issued a
14-day "ultimatum" demanding cancellation of the April polls,
but leaders have yet to specify what will occur when their
ultimatum runs out on May 15. Though the lack of popular
protests is due in part to public exhaustion, poverty, and
apathy, it also results from government attempts to quash
protest through threats, intimidation, and in some cases
detentions.


2. A few days before the presidential and governorship
elections, opposition candidates and their influential
supporters were detained with the aim of breaking the ranks
of the opposition groups. In most of the states where
violence arose from rejection of the poll results, security
agents exploited the opportunity to attack and detain
chieftains and key members of the opposition groups. In some
cases, rather than detaining leaders, security agents
harassed them at their offices, homes or in public places
with threats of arrest and possible use of force if protests
were successfully organized.


3. There were reports of arrests and intimidation across all
six geopolitical zones, but in Ondo, Osun, Edo, Abia,
Katsina, Benue, Ebonyi, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Sokoto, Kaduna,
Kogi, Adamawa, Taraba, and Nasarawa hundreds of Nigerians
belonging to opposition groups were detained by the police.
While some have been released, others are still in custody.
In Abia State for instance, the People's Progressive Alliance
(PPA) candidate and current Governor-elect Theodore Orji was
arrested before the election and remains in police custody.
On May 1, at least six hundred Nigerians were detained by the
police for trying to protest the recent polls and eighty were
arrested. A contact who was detained but later released by
the State Security Service (SSS) opined that the security
agents were desperate and jittery about any attempt to hold a
protest rallies.

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EXAMPLES OF INTIMIDATION, DETENTIONS
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4. On April 15 the ANPP governorship candidate in Kaduna
State and other key officials of the party were arrested and
detained by the security agents. Some of them were released
after the April 21 presidential elections.


5. Security agents forcefully gained entrance to the
transmission studio of AIT, a privately-owned television
station, on April 16, forcing staff to stop the transmission
of a documentary program that was critical to President
Obasanjo and the ruling PDP. In place of the documentary, a
tape conveying campaign activities of PDP presidential
candidate Yar'adua and highlights of President Obasanjo's
achievements were played. Campaign activities of other
leading opposition candidates like Muhammadu Buhari were not
broadcast, although some paid ads for minor candidates were
mixed in with the pro-Obasanjo programming.


6. The Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate in Edo
state and former president of the Nigeria Labor Congress
(NLC),Adams Oshiomhole, was arrested on April 16, shortly
after violent protests broke out in the state over the
conduct of the gubernatorial elections. Protestors insisted
that Oshimole had won the election, in spite of a INEC
declaration of the election as a PDP victory. Oshimole was
arrested, reportedly for saying that the people had rights to
reclaim and protect their mandate, and he was subsequently
released.


7. On April 17, Chief Solomon Ewuga, ANPP governorship
candidate in Nasarawa State was invited to Abuja and detained
on the orders of the Inspector General of Police Sunday
Ehindero following communal violence arising from the
gubernatorial elections. He was released after the April 21
polls. On the same day, key supporters of the Democratic
Peoples Party (DPP) in Sokoto State were detained by the

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police, some of whom were not released until after the
presidential elections. Earlier on, the state party chairman
and other major supporters were harassed by security agents
who falsely claimed the officials were wanted by the EFCC.
Several opposition party supporters were also arrested in
Kogi State for allegedly igniting violent protests against
the governorship elections. On April 18, the ANPP
governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu,
was beaten and arrested. His arrest came after his
supporters protested the results of the governorship
elections, and the protest allegedly paralyzed activities in
the state. Onu was released after the presidential elections.



8. Security agents in Ilorin, capital of Kwara State,
detained leaders of state branch of Action Congress (AC) on
April 22 for allegedly recruiting party thugs to set ablaze
the residence of state electoral commissioner. The AC
chieftains included Prince Sunday Fagbemi, state party
chairman, and Barrister Bolaji Edun, state party secretary.
Sources said both politicians are still in custody. A source
also confirmed the arrest of other members of several
opposition groups in the state.


9. The Federal Government banned protests and political
rallies throughout Nigeria. On April 29, the Inspector
General of Police (IGP) Sunday Ehindero told the media in
Abuja that he had instructed all his state commissioners "not
to grant permits for political rally or procession - any
rally held without police permit will be dispersed
forcefully. We shall use the tear gas to disperse them
(demonstrators) and if it warrants using more than minimum
force to disperse them, we shall use it." (NOTE: There is
no legal requirement for police permit for public
demonstrations.)


10. On April 30, Emmanuel Ezeazu, the Secretary General of
the Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE) was detained and
questioned in Abuja by the SSS operatives in connection with
a planned demonstration against the elections on the Labor
Day (May 1). He was asked to sign an agreement not organize
or participate in any protest, but he declined to do so. He
was released on May 1.


11. Opposition politicians and labor activists were
assaulted and/or detained throughout Nigeria before and
during the nation-wide Labor Day celebrations May 1. Some
labor leaders and opposition groups had vowed to use the
Labor Day to protest against the elections. Press reports
indicate that Abuja police detained at least 235
demonstrators, while at least 50 were detained in Daura
(Katsina) for holding anti-election placards and chanting
slogans. Police reportedly used force to disperse protests
in Lagos, Katsina and Benue states, saying that the
demonstrations were illegal as they had not received official
police permission. Thousands of demonstrators wearing black
t-shirts and carrying placards tried to join a May Day rally
at Onikan Stadium in Lagos. According to civil society
activists, police arrived in large numbers and harassed and
beat the crowd. ANPP Presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari
was threatened by political thugs and security services to
prevent his attendance at the rally. An estimated 80
demonstrators were arrested at the venue. Other reports
indicate at least 200 potential demonstrators were detained
in and around the area.


12. Agents of the State Security Service (SSS) beat the
Presidential Candidate of the National Conscience Party, Dr.
Osagie Obayuwana, as he and his followers tried to take part
in a Labor Day celebration May 1 at Ogbe Stadium in Benin
City, Edo state. Obaywuana and Chief Dide Adodo, an official
of the Labour Party, were subsequently arrested by SSS and
told that the day "was for workers, not for civil society
organizations." At another labor rally in Ondo State,
journalist Dare Folorunso was beaten to unconsciousness,
reportedly by Assistant Police Commissioner Mr. Joshua Mumbo
and 10 others. When some members of the crowd protested the
assault, police threatened to shoot them.


13. The Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) officially petitioned
Inspector General of Police Sunday Ehindero over the arrests

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and brutalization of its members and other activists during
the May 1 workers' day celebrations. In particular, the NLC
condemned the activities of some policemen such as Mumbo, who
personally assaulted journalist Dare Folorunsho.


14. The AC gubernatorial candidate in Osun State, Rauf
Aregbesola, told a leading Nigerian newspaper on May 3 that
over 200 opposition supporters were arrested or detained by
the security agents in addition to the "scores of innocent
citizens" killed during the elections. A riot broke out in
Osun state immediately after INEC had declared PDP as the
winner of the governorship election. "There is a serious
case of human rights abuse by the Osun State government in
collaboration with the police. As I am talking to you, over
200 of our people were arrested and put into various into
jails in Osun State for supporting AC," Argebesola said.

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COMMENT
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15. The laundry list of incidents above is typical of events
around Nigeria since the election, and most such incidents go
unreported. Though some commentators are surprised at the
absence of mass protests given the widespread public
condemnation of the election, it is clear from the incidents
above that organizing public protest is difficult and can be
dangerous.
CAMPBELL