Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees arrested by police and security forces during protests against the high cost of living in Nigeria.
Frank emphasized the need for a compassionate approach, urging Tinubu to act as a paternal figure dealing with aggrieved citizens to prevent further violence and the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators.
Addressing the international community, Frank called for vigilant monitoring of the ongoing protests and the heavy-handed response from security forces.
He urged the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union to impose visa bans on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and security chiefs responsible for the mistreatment of protesters.
Frank criticized Wike for his hostile stance towards the demonstrators, suggesting that President Tinubu should consider dismissing him if he continues to disrespect Nigerian youths.
“Nigerians have the inalienable right to protest against government policies that adversely affect them and to demand changes for the collective good,” he said.
Frank acknowledged that they have been exploited by sponsored groups in some states, aiming to discredit the organizers and justify the suppression by security forces.
He condemned the actions of a vacation judge in Abuja who restricted protesters to the Moshood Abiola Stadium and other public spaces in Lagos, stressing that the court also mandated police protection for the demonstrators.
Frank accused security forces of failing to comply with the court’s order, resulting in unjust killings, arrests, brutalization, and incarceration of protesters.
He also pointed out the hijacking of protests by government-sponsored agents to commit criminal acts.
“This situation must not be allowed to continue. The President must genuinely protect the youths who are protesting,” Frank urged, emphasising the need for a paternal approach from the government.
In his role as Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Frank condemned Wike for obtaining a biased court order to confine protesters to the Abuja Stadium and praised the courage of those who defied it.
“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 said.
He warned that further aggression against peaceful protesters by police and security agencies could escalate tensions and provoke resistance.
Reiterating his call for international scrutiny, Frank urged the US, UK, and EU to impose visa bans on those responsible for the mistreatment of protesters.
Expressing condolences to the families of the deceased and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured, Frank urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold the IGP and all Service Chiefs accountable for the killings of unarmed protesters.
He vowed to petition the ICC to prosecute Wike and the IGP for ordering the use of tear gas and live ammunition against unarmed peaceful protesters in Abuja and Kano.
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