One of the leaders of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria was arrested by the operatives of the Directorate of State Service in Abuja in the early hours of Monday.
The operative reportedly picked up the leader, Micheal Lenin, at about 3 a.m. on Monday from his residence in the federal capital territory.
Confirming the arrest, the Director of Mobilisation Damilare Adenola explained that the operatives of the DSS, before taking the protest leader away, molested him after his house was raided. She further explained the DSS official molested him in front of all his family members.
“ Lenin has been arrested by the DSS. He was picked up during a raid on his house around 2 am. He was arrested and tortured in the presence of his family. We are demanding his immediate and unconditional release.“ she said.
Before his arrest on Monday morning, the arrested youth leader Lenin had spoken at a press conference after the presidential address on Sunday morning. During the press conference, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the president’s address, indicating that the current nationwide protest would continue until a substantial response is given to the protesters’ demands.
Lenin, the National Coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign, explained that the president’s address has fallen short of the current happenings in the country. He explained that the demands of the were beyond the president addressing the nation.
He further explained that the president’s address only justified the amount of violence used against journalists and protesters. He also noted that “the failed attempt to co-opt the progressive and radical language of the protests only shows how much President Tinubu is out of touch with the masses.”
It has been unclear what caused the youth leader’s arrest on Monday. All attempts to speak with the DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, failed as he did not respond to calls and text messages sent to his line.
Recall that the Special Adviser to President Ajiri Ngilare announced on Saturday that the president will address the Nation on Sunday despite the current hunger protests in the country.
In the president’s address on Sunday, he justified the removal of fuel subsidy, noting that the decision has come stay. He established that the scheme in the past was used to benefit just a few individuals while other neighbouring countries benefited largely from the product.
He went further to criticise the protest, which resulted in the death of different individuals in the county. The president alleged the protest was being sponsored by the government’s enemies, whose plan was to put the country into an unresting situation.
He charged the citizens to leave the streets and return home as the government is doing its best to salvage the situation of high cost of living.
