Ekiti State Police Detain Activists Over Planned Protest Against Bandits' Rampage

In a move that has sparked widespread concern among human rights advocates, the Ekiti State Police Command has arrested three activists who were planning to stage a peaceful protest against the rising insecurity in the state. The planned demonstration was aimed at drawing attention to the abduction of 17 residents of Eda-Oniyo community in Ilejemeje Local Government Area by suspected bandits over six weeks ago. According to one of the detained activists, Moyinoluwa Olowoyo, also known as 'Gigabytes Nation', they were arrested on the orders of the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police. The arrests have been condemned by rights groups, who accuse the police of attempting to suppress the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. The Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Ekiti State said the activists were simply trying to create public awareness about the kidnapping incident, which has received little attention despite the prolonged captivity of the victims. 'What happened is that there was a particular kidnapping that took place in my state about 42 days ago. We noticed that nobody is talking about it. We want to raise awareness,' the AAC chairman explained. The police had invited the activists to appear at the command headquarters after learning of the planned demonstration, and later released them after some time in custody. However, the Commissioner of Police was said to have threatened the activists with arrest and legal action, stating that they wanted to disturb the peace of the state. The AAC chairman revealed that the police commissioner had threatened to jail the activists and sue them for protesting. Despite their release, concerns remain over what rights groups describe as attempts to intimidate citizens seeking to draw attention to the plight of kidnapping victims in the state. The protest was being organised in response to the abduction of 17 residents of Eda-Oniyo community by suspected bandits, during which one of the victims, a pastor, was killed, while the remaining 16 victims have remained in captivity for over 42 days. The AAC chairman said the prolonged silence surrounding the incident and the continued captivity of the victims prompted plans for a peaceful awareness campaign. 'Those who were kidnapped are 17 in number. One of them, a pastor, has been killed, but the others are still in captivity. Since then, no one is talking about it. That is why we are trying to create awareness,' the AAC chairman said.