Call to Action! Nigerian Protesters Face Death Penalty

The left and trade-union movement must take action in defense of Nigerian activists. Nearly 2,500 people were arrested in August for participating in #EndBadGovernance protests against the starvation policies of the Bola Tinubu government. More than 40 were shot dead by security forces, and many of those arrested still languish in jail. Ominously, eleven face the death penalty on trumped-up treason charges. Their trial is set to start November 11. Drop the charges now! Release all arrested protesters!

Protesters Facing Treason Charges

Inspired by the youthful uprising in Kenya in July, the protesters in Nigeria demanded an end to devastating economic austerity. To pay off debt imposed by the World Bank, IMF and African Development Bank, the Nigerian government last year abolished fuel subsidies and devalued the currency, leading to a dramatic spike in the cost of food, transportation and other necessities. The subsidies were a lifeline for many Nigerians in a country with almost no public transportation infrastructure. Coupled with soaring inflation, the austerity measures have pushed many more millions into starvation.

The Tinubu regime’s brutal repression targeted protest leaders with the most draconian penalties. Socialist activists from the Youth Rights Campaign and the Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights are among those now facing the death penalty. Tortured in jail, some were released on harsh bail conditions.

Showing that this crackdown is aimed at the entire working-class movement, the government detained Nigeria Labour Congress president Joe Ajaero as he was on his way to attend the September Trades Union Congress in Britain. The Tinubu regime has also outrageously charged Andrew Wynne (also known as Drew Povey), who for years has run a pro-labor bookshop located in the headquarters of the NLC, with seeking to overthrow the government. While Wynne was not in the country at the time, police raided the bookshop and arrested his assistant Adeyemi Abayomi, one of those facing a possible death sentence.