Activist Tobi Aide Regains Freedom After Femi Falana’s Intervention

Activist Tobi Aide Regains Freedom After Femi Falana’s Intervention

By prince Benson Davies

Oluwatobi Aide, a youth leader from Makoko, has regained his freedom after spending 4 days in illegal detention at the hands of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). Aide was arrested on Sunday for peacefully protesting against the illegal demolition of poor people’s homes in Makoko by the Lagos state government.

Mr. Aide was taken to Mobile court Oshodi today, around 11 a,m to be arraigned on a false charge of conduct likely to cause breach of public peace. But around 1pm, while waiting for the court session to commence, the Nigeiran Police Force (NPF) had to beat a hasty retreat and decided not to go ahead with the arraignment. This was due to the intervention of comrade Femi Falana Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who called the police authorities to warn against any further violation of Mr. Aide’s rights.

He was then taken back to the Alausa office of the RRS this afternoon where he was admitted to administrative bail. But the process of perfecting his bail took another tortuous hours of drama as the police initially demanded onerous conditionalities including a guarantor who must be a civil servant on grade level 14. After a tense standoff, eventually the police agreed for comrades Moshood Oshunfurewa – a leading member of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) and Assistant General Secretary of the Precision Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA) as well as comrade Onabule Mayowa (another DSM member) to stand for him.

We want to specially thank comrade Femi Falana (SAN) for his expeditious intervention on his matter. We also thank Mr. Joseph Opute Esq., Mr. Dapo Ebiesuwa Esq., Mr. Taiwo Olawale Esq. and Mr. Joshua Esq. from Inibehe Effiong Chambers for all their hard work. We are very much grateful to the community of activists who have been helping to amplify the demand for Mr. AIde’s release since Monday as well as many who offered to come down to the court this afternoon to stand surety for him. Special thanks goes to Betty Abah of CEEHOPE as well as HOMEF and CAPPA who amplified this case in the media while also providing essential support to sustain the pressure on the police. We thank comrade Duroorike and Ireti for their effort. Our gratitude also goes to comrade Onabule Mayowa who has been on this matter since Monday doing all the painful legwork, engaging the police and coordinating legal response while at the same time helping to boost Mr. Aide’s morale while in detention.