By Our Reporter
A coalition of civic and rights groups has condemned the arrest of Palestinian community leaders in Nigeria, demanding their immediate release and warning the government against dragging the country into the Israel-Palestine conflict.
In a joint statement signed by Omotaje Olawale Saint of WorkBond International Network (WIN) and Kunle Ajayi Wizeman of United Action for Democracy (UAD), the coalition said they were “disturbed and alarmed that, if our State apparatus of coercion is inadvertently allowed to be deployed into the fratricidal Middle East feud between Israel and Palestine, Nigeria would be comfortably on the slide to Golgotha!”
The groups described the hostilities as a “carefully designed Imperial, Neo Colonial Colony, Proxy Imbroglio,” insisting that Nigeria must not be turned into an “errand tool” in foreign conflicts.
They raised particular concern over the arrest of Ramzy Abu Ibrahim, a prominent Palestinian advocate in Nigeria, alleging that he was “abducted in a manner that violates due process and globally recognized Fundamental Human Rights’ principles, tenets and conventions, which Nigeria State is party to.”
According to the coalition, “the arrest of Abu Ibrahim cannot be separated from his activism, especially in light of the recent security and intelligence pact signed between the Nigerian government and the State of Israel.
They affimed that:
“Advocacy for the rights of Palestinians is not a crime.
“Nigeria must not allow itself to become a tool of external powers in silencing dissent.
“The detention of Abu Ibrahim and other Palestinian community leaders is an assault on freedom of expression, association, and human rights.”
They also called for a Two-Nation State solution to the Middle East dilemma of double face of same coin of our collective humanity.
The coalition urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “immediately and unconditionally release Ramzy Abu Ibrahim and all other detained Palestinian community leaders” and to ensure Palestinians in Nigeria are not subjected to “harassment, humiliation, or political repression.”
The statement was co-signed by several organisations, including All Workers Convergence, Lagos State Liberation Congress, Centre for Human and Socio-Economy Rights, Yoruba Youth Assembly, Centre for Human Rights Advocacy, Center Against Injustice and Domestic Violence, Youth Initiative Agenda for Democratic Process, Southwest People Parliamentary Agenda, Peace Initiative For Better Nigeria, and Youth League Academy.
