As nationwide protests wrapped up on Saturday, Deji Adeyanju, one of the leaders and legal representatives for the protesters, reported that 26 protesters and journalists have been released from the hundreds who were arrested and detained by security agents across the country.

Recall that the protest which began Aug 1 had led to the loss of lives and destruction of public property as well as as the arrest of some protesters and journalists. 

In an interview with Vanguard, Adeyanju confirmed the release and stated that efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining detainees.

He said: “We have been able to release 26 protesters including six journalists from the Nigeria Police Force and Department of State Service, DSS, in Abuja.

“Majority of the protesters released from the cells of the Police and DSS were males, we only got two females arrested and released but other persons were males and were released and all of these were released unconditionally.”

On the number of those still behind bars, he said: “We have about 16 more protesters we know of. These are protesters in Abuja but there are 100s detained in Kano. In Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Jigawa. Others we have so many comrades detained but we cannot ascertain the number.”

He added that the six journalists that were arrested have also been released.

“We have released a lot of journalists that were arrested as well, and they were six in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Kaduna.

“All the journalists that we know of have been released. The last one was released four days ago, he was a support staff of a journalist.”

On the protesters still detained across the country, he said: “We are optimistic that the security agencies should be reasonable and release everybody because they have no right to detain anybody over protest.”

Meanwhile, he said they were going to issue a 48-hour ultimatum to release all protesters and if refused, they were going to sue them.

“We are going to sue them for the breach of the rights of these protesters. We are giving them a 48-hour ultimatum, if they do not, we are going to sue them.”

Further, he said: “The President as a perpetual protester himself, I do not know why all of a sudden he has become an oppressor and fast becoming a tyrant that does not have regard for the fundamental rights of protesters in a democracy. It is really ironic and sad, and he stands completely condemned.

“On the release of protesters still in detention, the President should mandate and direct that security agencies to release all protesters in custody unconditionally, and it is an irredeemable minimum the President should do almost immediately.”

Meanwhile, he encouraged Nigerians “to hold their leaders accountable at all levels because when citizens fail in their responsibility as citizens, then leaders will have a field day to violate and abuse their rights.

“So citizens must rise up and hold their leaders accountable at all levels irrespective of local, state and federal government.”