Freezing of accounts, arrest of #EndSARS protesters regressive —Bakare

The Serving Overseer, Citadel Global Community Church, formerly known as Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Sunday described the freezing of the accounts and arrest of promoters of the #EndSARS protests as a sign of regression in the country.

According to Bakare, the freezing of accounts of the protest promoters, as well as the use of court probes, were intimidation against influencers who backed the protest.

The Save Nigeria Group convener stated this on Sunday at his church in the Oregun area of Lagos in his state of the nation address, adding that it was contradictory to the earlier olive branch extended to the protesters by the government, such as the scrapping of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, setting up of N75bn Nigeria Youth Investment Fund and the appointment of some of the protesting youths onto panels of judicial inquiry to address police brutality.

He said: “Truth be told, this season of our national life requires deep humility, sobriety and deliberate thinking through, both by the government and the governed, in order to ensure that our plans, policies and actions are weighed before they are implemented to avert the re-occurrence of our most recent crisis. In light of the foregoing, some of the actions recently taken by the government on the heels of the #EndSARS protests may need to be reversed sooner rather than later in our collective best interest so that they do not trigger further protests.

Read also: I am the Joe Biden of Nigeria; I’ll be President in 2023 –Pastor Bakare

“Among such policy actions is the freezing of the accounts of young Nigerians who reportedly sponsored the protests. While I admit that, under our extant laws, banks may freeze an account upon an ex parte order granted to a law enforcement agency by a court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of investigation, these provisions of our law should not be used to intimidate Nigerian youths simply because they engaged in and promoted protests against the inactions of government. In addition, targeting and arresting citizens on trumped-up charges, deploying court probes as a tool of intimidation, and generally eroding our fragile peace, are deeply worrisome signs of regression.”

He also warned government against the planned regulation of the social media to silence the people, adding that anyone who sought political relevance in the country should not move against the youth, who possessed power of the social media.

“Any political group that takes the social media-savvy Nigerian youths for granted does so at its own risk or peril. This is why I strongly advise the power blocs, including the South-West governors who are calling for stricter regulation of social media, to desist from doing so.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now