The police authorities, backed by the state government, have continued detain the protesters illegally in their desperate attempt to frustrate them.
Two Buhari-must-go protesters, Larry Emmanuel and Victor Udoka, who were arrested, molested by thugs sponsored by the Kogi State Government and detained by the police are presently critically ill.
The protesters have been detained since April 5.
SaharaReporters learnt on Wednesday that the two protesters have also been denied medical treatment.
“They are seriously ill and not getting treatment. The state government is hell-bent on keeping them, perhaps until they die in custody,” a source stated.
On Monday, global human rights organisation, Amnesty International, demanded the unconditional release of the two Buhari-must-go protesters, adding that the protesters' only crime was that they were “peacefully protesting against corruption and distributing posters that were perceived to be critical of the President.”
Amnesty International had said that the activists “were physically assaulted and tortured by unidentified men while peacefully protesting against corruption, and the poor human rights situation in Nigeria, and distributing posters that were perceived to be critical of the President". [story_link align="left"]93365[/story_link]
“A few days later, they were turned over to the police and were subsequently transferred to the Nigeria Correctional Centre, located in Kogi State, in North Central Nigeria, where they are currently being held.
“The two activists are being detained solely for peacefully exercising their right to protest and expressing their views. They must be immediately and unconditionally released,” AI statement partly read on Monday.
SaharaReporters had last week reported that the Kogi State Acting Chief Judge, Justice Richard Olorunfemi, stated that the protesters were not yet brought to court because the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria workers were on strike and all courts were closed.
The Chief Judge in an interview with SaharaReporters on Thursday had said the protesters had not yet been arraigned because of the strike and the judiciary could not account for their whereabouts.
He directed our correspondent to “carry on your investigation” with the police.
SaharaReporters had reported on April 8, that the Kogi State Police Command continued in its deliberate harassment and intimidation of Emmanuel and Udoka by charging them for treasonable felony and public disturbance.[story_link align="left"]92559[/story_link]
SaharaReporters had learnt that the duo were not brought to court because of the JUSUN strike, but were tried in a Magistrate’s office and remanded in the Kabba prison.
The power-drunk magistrate, it was further gathered, gave no adjourned date for the matter.
The police had secretly arraigned the two protesters and ensured that they were remanded at the Kabba Prison – without the knowledge of their lawyers or family members.
SaharaReporters had learnt that neither the charges on which they were arraigned were disclosed to the public or the Magistrate's Court where they were tried.
The police authorities, backed by the state government, have continued detain the protesters illegally in their desperate attempt to frustrate them.[story_link align="left"]93207[/story_link]
This is sequel to the torture which some people about two weeks ago gave the middle-aged protesters who were posting Buhari-Must-Go posters in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital.
SaharaReporters had reported that the irate mob flogged the two youths, filmed them and brutalised them before they were later handed over to the police.