Pastor Paul Enenche Invited Us To Arrest Activists Who Wore ‘Buhari Must Go’ T-Shirts To His Church – DSS

Pastor Paul Enenche Invited Us To Arrest Activists Who Wore ‘Buhari Must Go’ T-Shirts To His Church – DSS

Abiodun Sanusi

Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) has admitted that it was the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (Glory Dome), Abuja, which called for the arrest of five human rights activists who wore the #BuhariMustGo T-Shirts to its church service last Sunday.

This is just as the whereabouts of the activists remain unknown with the DSS and the Dunamis Church refusing to take responsibility for the arrest and detention of the activists.

Earlier on, the FCT command of the DSS as well as the headquarters had both denied being in custody of five activists arrested by Dunamis church security.

“At a meeting with Pastor Paul Enenche yesterday, the pastor told Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju that the five activists were with DSS. However, the DSS vehemently denied holding the five activists.

“Meanwhile no one has heard from the activists since Sunday when church security attacked them and detained them in the church premises. Their phones have since been switched off,” a source revealed.

SaharaReporters learnt that the DSS and the church had first both denied arresting and detaining the human rights activists.

The worshippers were harassed and manhandled by the DSS officials and also denied food or sleep since Sunday in the DSS custody, SaharaReporters further learnt.

SaharaReporters learnt on Tuesday that the DSS had admitted that the Dunamis church called them to take away the “suspects.”

“About 48 hours after illegal arrest and detention by Dunamis church, we don’t know the whereabouts of these #BuhariMustGo activists,” one of the sources said.

The DSS has admitted that it was Pastor Enenche who called them.

At a meeting with Pastor Paul Enenche yesterday, the pastor told Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju that the five activists were with DSS. However, the DSS vehemently denied holding the five activists.

Meanwhile no one has heard from the activists since Sunday when church security attacked them and detained them in the church premises. Their phones have since been switched off.

“Two of them are said to be detained at the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad section of the state police command,” a source stated.

SaharaReporters had on Sunday reported that about ten activists went to the church on Sunday morning to worship at the church but some of them were surprisingly rounded up and arrested by the church security guards who later handed them over to the DSS operatives.

Five of the activists were whisked away in a Hilux van and two powerbikes.

SaharaReporters learnt on Tuesday that the state director of the DSS in the FCT was behind the detention of the activists.

“The five activists arrested at Dunamis are being detained by DSS director of FCT. They have been deprived of food and sleep since arrest,” a top source revealed.

The activists had been manhandled and beaten by the DSS operatives on the church premises, who also seized their mobile phones.

Human rights activists, Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju, had met with Enenche over the arrest of the activists.

While clarifying the matter, Sowore said the pastor denied claims by some persons that the activists were trying to disrupt the church service.

“We are adults and if we are tired of the system and we say the system must collapse, it is our right to express ourselves freely. I told the pastor when he said he was not happy when the activists were trying to protest within the premises that with the way things are going on, more and more people will be wearing #BuhariMustGo T-shirts to the church because people are tired of Buhari regime.

“We have a respectable agreement and some disagreements over this issue but what is important to me and why I don’t want to drag this for too long is the release of these individuals from detention.

“We are going to wait till evening because we requested that they should be released today (Monday). Nobody knows their whereabouts. We don’t know whether they have been fed or they have been tortured,” Sowore had said.

 

Dunamis’ Head Pastor Enenche Illegally Arrests, Hands Over Six Worshippers Wearing ‘#BuhariMustGo’ Shirts To DSS

Dunamis’ Head Pastor Enenche Illegally Arrests, Hands Over Six Worshippers Wearing ‘#BuhariMustGo’ Shirts To DSS

Security guards attached to the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (Glory Dome) located along Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road, Abuja have arrested six human rights activists for wearing #BuhariMustGo (Anti-President Muhammadu Buhari) T-Shirts to the church.

About ten activists went to the church on Sunday morning to worship at the church but some of them were surprisingly rounded up and arrested by the church security guards who later handed them over to the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

 

Six of the activists were whisked away in a Hilux van and two power bikes.

The activists were manhandled and beaten by the DSS operatives on the church premises, who also seized their mobile phones.

Paul Enenche is the Senior Pastor of the church.

A source said, “Security men at Dunamis Gospel Church have arrested activists who wore #BuhariMustGo T-shirts to their church service: the church security later handed them over to DSS officials who are currently torturing them.

“I thought Pastor Dr Paul Enenche was also preaching about justice! The six activists were driven away in a DSS Hilux van and two power bikes. Shame on the house of God!

“About 10 activists decided to attend Dunamis church in their #BuhariMustGo T-shirts. The church asked all first-timers to come out for prayers. The patriotic citizens obeyed the clarion call from the altar with their fully displayed BuhariMustGo shirts.

“They were immediately apprehended by the church security on their way out of the church and subsequently handed to the DSS. Kudos to the courageous activists for this creativity. I’m certain if the activists had worn a shirt with the inscription ‘Sai Buhari’, they would have ranked as Pastor Enenche’s new best friend.”

Similarly, in April, violent youths descended on two middle-aged protesters– Larry Emmanuel and Anene Victor Udoka–who were pasting Buhari-Must-Go posters in Lokoja, the Kogi to State capital.

SaharaReporters learnt that the irate mob flogged the two youths, filmed them, and brutalised them before they were later handed over to the police.

It was gathered that the police thereafter quizzed the two protesters and detained them when they insisted on seeing their lawyer before making a statement.

In some viral videos, the protesters were seen being molested and questioned by the mob before they were flogged as the youths forced them to clean their painting of “Buhari Must Go”.

The court, last Thursday, resumed trial of the two activists after being granted bail after spending 78 days in detention.

Nnamdi Kanu Was Blindfolded, Handcuffed and Chained, I Fear For His Safety — Sowore

Nnamdi Kanu Was Blindfolded, Handcuffed and Chained, I Fear For His Safety — Sowore

Human rights activist and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Mr. Omoyele Sowore has said he was at a Federal High Court in Abuja, the nation’s capital to see that Nnamdi Kanu got justice but had been arraigned and conveyed to the custody of the police.

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Kanu was arrested in the United Kingdom and extradited to Nigeria to face trial over allegations of treason leveled against him by the Nigerian government.

However, the human rights activist has said he fears for the safety of the leader of the pro-Biafra separatist group as he was blindfolded, handcuffed and his legs were chained.

“I’m here to see that Nnamdi Kanu gets justice, but unfortunately he has been moved to be detained. I fear for his safety. He was hooded. This is despicable. This just shows that we are in the Banana Republic,” he said.

Sowore also stated that Kanu has the right to agitate for self-determination, especially in a system that has kept denying Nigerians their rights, while adding that he has been a victim of inhumane treatment from the Nigerian government as well.

“The way he was treated was despicable. The system has a way of abducting people and bringing them to court. I have been abducted like that before. There is nothing wrong with asking for self-determination. Nnamdi Kanu has rights to ask for self-determination,” Sowore added.

Kanu was swiftly transported to Court 2 where the presiding judge Justice Murtala Nyanko told the prosecution lawyer, Shuaib Labaran to notify the defense counsel of the new date for the continuation of the trial.

Journalists were prevented from filming Kanu as he was shielded and taken through the back door.

The prosecution applied that Kanu jumped bail and wanted him to be remanded at DSS custody.

Justice Murtala Nyanko has adjourned the matter to July 26, 2021.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Tuesday, had earlier declared that Kanu was captured by the operatives of Nigeria’s security intelligence.

Kanu was on October 14, 2015, arraigned by the Nigerian Government over allegations of terrorism, money laundering, treason, etc.

On March 28, 2019, his bail condition was revoked by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court.

Stop Recognizing A Usurper, AAC Tells Premium Times and IPAC, Says Sowore Is Party National Chairman

Stop Recognizing A Usurper, AAC Tells Premium Times and IPAC, Says Sowore Is Party National Chairman

The National Secretariat of African Action Congress (AAC) is seized by the circulation of an event flyer that addressed a certain Leonard Nzenwa as the National Chairman of the African Action Congress and listed same as a panelist in a forthcoming live webinar with the topic – ‘’Intra-Party Democracy in Nigeria: Challenges and Solutions.’’ (sic). We are shocked at such misinformation coming from one of the best in the corridors of investigative journalism in the country.

 

A cursory move on the official website of the party, aacparty.com would have saved the Premium Times this egregious error of offering its platform to a usurper who was expelled over very weighty allegations of FRAUD, STEALING, FORGERY, SABOTAGE, and ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES after being offered fair-hearing.

As a political party that engages with the principles of democracy as its guide, Leonard Nzenwa was issued a query letter on the 17th, January 2019, and was suspended pending investigation and his defense (https://aacparty.com/case-against-dr-leonard-ezenwa/).

Upon recommendations of a disciplinary committee set up by the National Working Committee of the party, he was expelled from the party. The AAC RETERIATES THAT THE SAID INDIVIDUAL, LEONARD NZENWA IS NO LONGER A MEMBER of the AFRICAN ACTION CONGRESS (AAC), let alone an executive at the national level. COMRADE OMOYELE SOWORE REMAINS THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE PARTY, ratified alongside other officers at the first and only Convention which held in Lagos on 6th, October 2018 in line with the provisions of Section 57 of the party’s constitution.

Among the many letters of the AAC expected to be in the archive of the Independent National Electoral Commission, is the most recent which was signed by members of the AAC National Executive Committee (NEC), received by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Rose Omoa Oriaran-Anthony in Abuja on the 28th of April 2021, demanding that the Commission rids itself of the perceived complicity in the protraction of this illegality and injustice done against our party’s internal democracy- a topic the PTCIJ aims to address in its programme.

“We demand forthwith that the said individual addressed in the said capacity be delisted as a Speaker at the event and that the flyer be taken out of circulation and/or a statement addressing the misinformation be issued by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ).

“We also use this medium to put the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on notice that it cannot continue to recognize a usurper if it aims to be regarded by the public as anything close to a democratic organization”. The African Action Congress said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. ‘Femi Adeyeye.

 

 

IGP GENOCIDAL ORDER AGAINST IPOB/ESN: Police Officers Must Act According To Conscience and The Law – AAC

IGP GENOCIDAL ORDER AGAINST IPOB/ESN: Police Officers Must Act According To Conscience and The Law – AAC

IGP GENOCIDAL ORDER AGAINST IPOB/ESN: Police Officers Must Act According To Conscience and The Law – AAC
“IGP Usman Alkali-Bala has once again re-echoed the barbaric, lawless, and insane order that police officers in the South East must ignore the law, human rights and good sense by shooting at sight while raiding house-to-house for IPOB/ESN. We condemn this order as genocidal, extrajudicial and totally illegal. The Police cannot under any circumstance act as accuser, judge and executioner at the same time”. The African Action Congress said in its Press Statement,
“While the AAC condemns attacks against public institutions, we maintain that the Buhari dictatorship is to be blamed for the insecurity and anarchy that currently bedevils the country.
We are not oblivious of the fact that the agitation for secession; an inalienable right enshrined in known conventions has joined the litany of conversations in our polity and the Buhari regime is deliberately heating up the space so as to create excuse for its abdication of responsibilities of providing governance – security and welfare of the people.
As the social media is awash with credible videos of armed security agents shooting at civilians indiscriminately and turning young people into games. Against the unwarranted violence and genocide of the Nigerian state, the AAC stands in solidarity with every persons living in Southeastern Nigeria.
We maintain that it is the primary responsibility of government to secure lives and property of citizens regardless of which part of the country they live in- North or South. And in the case where there is a breakdown of law and order, the role of government is to take restorative measures within the confines of the law and universally recognized human rights.
People cannot continue to sing dirges and cry while members of the ruling class foment war and violence instead of addressing the fundamental issues that have led to the legitimate and lawful calls for secession.
Meanwhile, the people of IPOB and Oduduwa agitators are not the only group calling for an exit out of this Nigerian contraption, even Miyetti Allah recently announced a call for Fulani-exit.
Aside from the fact that the average Nigerian mentality has long seceded from this gulag we call a country, President Buhari, who in fact is the author of the socio-economic anarchy, no longer believes in the contraption he rules and has practically seceded from the country; the reason he tours the entire World even at the slightest flu.
AAC warns IGP Bala to call off his officers and act under the purview of the constitution. In the event that he turns fascist deaf ears to popular voices of reason, we urge rank and file officers to act only according to lawful orders. The Police need to understand that the anti-poor regime that has failed to provide them with adequate remunerations, training, and modern facilities and conditions of work is equally responsible for poverty, insecurity, and overwhelming socio-economic order that has made all of us victims of a rapacious and wicked Nigerian state.
While the AAC will continue to recognize and identify with rights to secession, we reiterate yet again, the need to bond and rise together as oppressed people across the North and South of Nigeria against this regime of anarchy, death and destruction.
Stop the genocide in the southeast!
Stop the war in Nigeria today!!
All oppressed people should unite and fight for #RevolutionNow
DSS Cannot Intimidate Nigerians Into Forced Patriotism – AAC

DSS Cannot Intimidate Nigerians Into Forced Patriotism – AAC

Nigeria’s main opposition party, the African Action Congress (AAC), has called out the Department of State Security (DSS) over its intimidation of citizens in favour of President Buhari.

The AAC in a statement released on Monday 3rd of May, 2020 and made available to the Press, says;

“IN THE ABSENCE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, THE DSS CAN NOT INTIMIDATE NIGERIANS INTO FORCED PATRIOTISM”.

“It is no news anymore that the polity has been engaged by Nigerians with a lot of agitations for social, political, and economic justice.

“There is no over bloating that these agitations are being orchestrated across the full length and breadth of the country with Nigerians in diaspora not excluded. In the acceptance of the aforementioned, the Department of State Services (DSS) in a press statement released on 2nd May 2021 and signed by its Public relations officer, Mr. Peter Ifunanya has taken its usual uncivilized posture of heating the polity with threats and subversive statements against the constitutional rights of Nigerians to freely speak, assemble and protest against the unfortunate trend of insecurity, poverty, corruption and total lack of respect for citizenship. It is indeed unfortunate that this security outfit that has been grossly incapable of fishing out terrorists, bandits; ‘’unknown gunmen’’ both on our streets and inside government offices; such gross incompetence, that has turned the country into a hotbed of kidnappings, terrorism, and banditry has suddenly found its reed voice and has taken to the market to threaten Nigerians whom in a harmonious manner have passed a vote of no confidence on the tyrannical and anti-people Buhari regime. For a country that now ranks 3rd most terrorized nation in the world, it is rather pathetic that instead of addressing this ridiculous ‘’feat’’, the regime concerns itself with a misplaced priority of chasing after protesters and critics while empowering, protecting, and defending terrorists”. The AAC said in a statement which was signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olorunfemi Adeyeye.   “It is evident that the DSS needs a course on democratic tenets and principles and how people’s rights to disagree must be respected. The act of drawing a red line to people’s rights must be condemned by all and sundry just as we have always maintained in the African Action Congress (AAC). As a party, we have long come to the conclusion that the Buhari regime is incapable of running a democratic and highly effective government guided by the rule of law. It is our position at the African Action Congress that the rights of Nigerians to freely assemble, organize and express themselves without any intimidation must be fully respected. We reiterate for the umpteenth time that patriotism cannot be forced on people who have been denied social justice”. The statement further reads.

24th JUNE 2019: UPDATE ON LEGAL DEFENSE OF THE AFRICAN ACTION CONGRESS FROM UNSCRUPULOUS THIEVES

24th JUNE 2019: UPDATE ON LEGAL DEFENSE OF THE AFRICAN ACTION CONGRESS FROM UNSCRUPULOUS THIEVES

On the 24th of June 2019, the National Legal Adviser and other representatives of the AAC were in court to continue the spirited legal defence of the party from the scurrilous attempt to usurp its leadership by Leonard Nzenwa and his puppet-masters.

After adoption of processes by the lawyers for both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, sitting in Court 6 of the Federal High Court, Central Area, Abuja opened the floor for adumbration by both lawyers.

In contrast to the lawyer representing Leonard and co, Inibehe Effiong Esq., the National Legal Adviser and counsel to the Party Chairman and Deputy, Omoyele Sowore and Malcolm Fabiyi, delivered a rousing, impassioned summary of the arguments against Mr. Nzenwa’s ill-conceived and bad-faith arguments. He ended by praying the court to not just dismiss their claims and prayers, but to do so with rebuke, and with substantial cost to Sowore and Dr. Fabiyi.

Despite the commencement of the 2019 judicial vacation on the 5th of July, 2019, the judge, in cognisance of the importance of the matter, offered to break his vacation on the 12th of July, 2019, to deliver judgement. Consequently, the case was adjourned to 12th of July, 2019, for judgement.

Other representatives in court were Barr. Sepre Oyeghe, who accompanied the lead counsel Mr. Effiong; Dr. Joshua Adeoye, the Ag. National Secretary, AAC; Mr. Philip Oshiokhue, the National Organising Secretary, AAC; Mr. Jude Eyah, the Administrative Secretary, AAC Headquarters; Miss. Oluwatosin Adeniji, a member of the Office of the Candidate, Take-It-Back; and Mr. Bob Benedict, a State executive of AAC, Federal Capital Territory.

BUHARI’S INAUGURATION LEAVES NIGERIANS WITH LITTLE TO HOPE FOR

BUHARI’S INAUGURATION LEAVES NIGERIANS WITH LITTLE TO HOPE FOR

Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies – President Muhammadu Buhari started his second term
as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as he meant to continue: with no message of
hope and nothing to offer the good people of this country.

Yesterday, the elderly leader set a new record by being the first democratically elected leader in the
history of Nigeria not to deliver an inaugural speech. The Take it Back Movement, led by Omoyele
Sowore, believes this shocking silence to be disrespectful to Nigerians and further reflective of the
non-existent plans that the APC-led government has for the country.

Anyone holding out for change, next level or any level other than the one the country has found
itself would have been met with silence yesterday. Silence at a time when the economy has plunged
to unimaginable depths. No advice as lawlessness and terrorism reign supreme, and the criminals –
those with guns and those in positions of power – escape unpunished. No words of comfort or
encouragement as Nigerians are denied entry or rights abroad and denied respect at home. No stern
words or promises of sanction or punishment for those who bleed the country dry and waste human
lives at scale as people are denied security, access to healthcare, education or reliable infrastructure.

We do, however, thank him for his honesty. The man who assured the nation four years ago that he
“belonged to everybody and nobody” made it clear in his first term that he did indeed belong to a
select few who did not serve the interest of the Nigerian masses.

The flagrant disregard of a leader who has secured his second term and no longer has a need to keep
up the pretence is not surprising to us at the Take it Back Movement, and we remain resolute in our
stance: Nigeria must be liberated. We will continue to speak truth to power, educate the masses,
and show our people the freedom in daring to hope. Where they meet Nigerians with silence, we
will give our people revolution, a dream to aspire to. We will fight every step of the way to create a
Nigeria we will be proud to call home.

Rachel Onamusi-Kpiasi
Director, PR, Media and Communications
Take it Back Movement/African Action Congress

SOWORE’S AAC URGES NIGERIANS TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY AS 6 UNLAWFULLY ARRESTED FOR PASTING POSTERS REAPPEAR IN COURT

SOWORE’S AAC URGES NIGERIANS TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY AS 6 UNLAWFULLY ARRESTED FOR PASTING POSTERS REAPPEAR IN COURT

On Sunday, 9th December, 2018, six members of the African Action Congress party were unlawfully arrested during the early hours for pasting posters in Lagos State. The arresting officers went through several charges before settling on the charge of defacing public property, accusing them of vandalising posters belonging to Jimi Agbaje, the PDP Lagos state gubernatorial candidate.

Our supporters have been steadfast in their defence that they did no such thing; maintaining that they were arrested only with Sowore’s posters, brushes and adhesive paste.

At the time, the arrest, which led to a three-day detention including two days in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison for pasting posters, was the latest in a long line of persistent attacks on the AAC. The party would later deal with exclusion from the national debate and a poorly orchestrated smear campaign.

We have fought every semblance of injustice and oppression that has come our way since the beginning of this campaign, and will continue to do so, this court case included.

It is unconscionable that the APC and PDP would rather sink to these depths than spend their time proving to Nigerians that they are worthy candidates to govern the land. That they would rather squander the freedom of six innocent young men than do the right thing – make plans for this nation and then keep their promises.

We urge Nigerians not to fall for these cheap tactics and to instead focus on the prize: a Nigeria that works for us all, regardless of tribe, religion, income level or political alliance.

On Monday, 4th February, 2019, the AAC will go to court and once again stare injustice in the face in the case of six young men arrested for pasting posters in Lagos state. Regardless of their political affiliations, it is our hope that every Nigerian will be rightfully outraged by this case.

We specifically ask that ALL of our supporters use the picture of the AAC 6 as their profile picture in a united, worldwide show of solidarity. We must support our own and let the old cabals know that we are not for bowing or breaking. This is the only way that Nigeria can progress – calling out injustice wherever one finds it – and Nigeria MUST progress.

Rachel Onamusi-Kpiasi
Director, PR, Media and Communications
Sowore 2019 Campaign/African Action Congress