Nigerians kick as DSS invades SERAP’s office, arrests NLC chief

Many Nigerians have reacted to the Department of State Service’s (DSS) brazen occupying of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) office in Abuja and an earlier arrest of Joe Ajaero, president of Nigeria’s Labour Congress (NLC).

This invasion of the group’s office was made known in a statement on X Monday.

“Officers from Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors,” the advocacy group said.

“President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation and attack on the rights of Nigerians,” it added.

The DSS occupied the SERAP’s office barely 24 hours after the advocacy group gave the government 48 hours to reverse the recently hiked pump price.

These events have riled up many Nigerians who have taken to social media demanding an end to the “unlawful arrest and intimidation” of civic groups and individuals who are holding the government accountable.

“The invasion of SERAP’s Abuja office by the SSS is unacceptable. President Tinubu’s regime must end the attack on dissent,” said Inibehe Effiong, a human rights activist and lawyer on X.

In another tweet, Seun Onigbinde, the co-founder of BudgIT, a civic-tech group, said with the recent clampdown on civic rights organizations, “every fringe actor in the political space will be emboldened to abuse public institutions for their personal gain.”

EiE Nigeria, a non-governmental group, said the actions by the SSS represents a troubling infringement on the freedoms and civil liberties of Nigerians.

“Upholding the constitutional rights of citizens, including the ability of organizations to operate freely, must be an absolute priority,” the group said on X.

Amnesty International demands an end to “repressive government”

Amnesty International Nigeria, a human rights group, has called on President Bola Tinubu to stop using state operatives to “gag dissenting voices” in the country.

The advocacy group said this in reaction to the invasion of the SERAP’s Abuja office by the operatives of the DSS.

“Amnesty International received a disturbing report of the unlawful invasion of the Abuja office of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by operatives of DSS.

“President Bola Tinubu is going too far in his government’s repressive efforts to gag dissenting voices,” the human rights group said.

Amnesty Nigeria said SERAP stands for accountability against corruption, describing the intimidation of such a group as “bizarre”.

It added that the DSS — which should focus on protecting Nigeria — “are shockingly acting without respect for the rule of law, by consistently targeting civil society organizations and activists.”