It reminded the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force that Nigeria is not a police state and warned that any attempt to repress the students from exercising their constitutional rights will be met with swift resistance.
Human rights and pro-democracy group, Take It Back Movement (TIB) has raised an alarm over a planned clampdown on students of the University of Jos, Plateau State by the Department of State Services (DSS) for planning to protest against arbitrary hike in tuition fee in the school.
Describing the planned clampdown on students as unconstitutional and a breach of their human rights, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as (amended), TIB stated that protest is a right.
It reminded the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force that Nigeria is not a police state and warned that any attempt to repress the students from exercising their constitutional rights will be met with swift resistance.
TIB which raised the alarm in a tweet shared on its X (formerly Twitter) handle, identified one John Onah as one of the students being targeted by the DSS for arrest.
The organisation wrote: "It has come to our attention that @OfficialDSSNG is trying to intimidate University of Jos students who are planning to storm the streets of Jos tomorrow in protest of the astronomical fee increment from forty-five thousand naira to about two hundred thousand naira.
“One of the students, John Onah is being targeted for arrest.
"May we remind officials of the State Security Service, and @PoliceNG that Nigeria is not a police state, and protest remains a fundamental right. Any attempt to repress the students from exercising their constitutional right will be met with swift resistance. #FeeMustFall #WeCantContinueLikeThis."