Operatives from the Department of State Services have apprehended a prominent leader of the ongoing Endbadgovernance protests in the Federal Capital Territory, Micheal Lenin.
According to The PUNCH, Lenin was taken into custody during a raid at his Apo-area residence at around 2 am on Monday.
Director of Mobilisation for the Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, explained that the DSS not only raided Lenin’s home but also allegedly assaulted him in front of his family.
Adenola stated, “Lenin has been arrested by the DSS. He was picked up during a raid on his house around 2am. He was arrested and tortured in the presence of his family. We are demanding his immediate and unconditional release.”
The DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the incident.
Lenin, who serves as the National Coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign, had recently criticized President Bola Tinubu’s address concerning the Endbadgovernance protests.
During a press briefing, Lenin expressed dissatisfaction with the President’s remarks, suggesting that they highlighted his disconnect from the current realities in Nigeria.
Lenin remarked, “We wish to express our sadness and deep disappointment at the latest broadcast by President Tinubu which is his first address to the nation on the #EndBadGovernance protests, after over three weeks since Nigerians started mobilising to take to the streets and after scores of dead protesters and assaulted journalists from the first three days of the protests. Many had requested that the President should just address the nation when the protest was being mobilised and when it started to escalate, but most of us did not know that the President would only justify state violence on protesters and journalists while dismissing the demands of the protesters whenever he decides to speak. This, plus 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.”
Despite the arrest, Lenin has called for the protests to continue with increased participation.
He urged citizens to join the demonstrations on Monday, asserting that the dual strategy of violence and propaganda employed against them has been ineffective.
Lenin stated, “We, therefore, call on Nigerians to come out in large numbers to continue these protests on Monday until our demands are met. The two-pronged approach of violence and propaganda has failed. The violence and repressions are just attempts to silence and control us, and the propaganda cannot sway or fool us.”
