Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has condemned the Federal Government for allegedly funding counter protests to oppose the plan by some aggrieved Nigerians to stage peaceful protests against bad governance in the country.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Uzodinma, the group said “it was a clear show of shame that the same government that opposes the protests by persons opposed to bad governance has now begun funding protests against the end bad governance protests”.
“This doesn’t make any logical sense at all,” the group added.
HURIWA stated that it is a manifestation of bad governance that Federal Government officials are hiring fake protesters in the nation’s capital at the alleged cost of N3,000 per head.
Besides, HURIWA said it was ludicrous that a Lagos State High Court could actually issue an order against some defendants listed by the Lagos State Government, including ‘unknown protesters’ or those identified as ‘unknown persons’, to stop the protesters from holding their rallies outside the avenues approved by the government.
