Civil rights activist Dele Farotimi has stated that protesters do not need a permit from the police before carrying out a demonstration.
Naijaonpoint reports that his submission follows the #FreeNnamdiKanu protests in Abuja on Monday.
Protesters marched around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday, demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television on Tuesday, Farotimi berated the Nigerian Police and the judiciary over their roles in restricting citizens from holding peaceful protests.
He stated that in a true democracy, citizens do not require a police permit to protest, adding that the police are only to be informed so they can provide security.
“In a democracy, there should never be a need for a police permit before you may have a protest. The police were informed so that they would provide security.
“That a court would presume to curtail the right of citizens to protest peacefully in a democracy is even suggestive of the fact that we’re not in a democracy. We’re only mimicking and pretending to be in one,” he said.
He insisted that it is completely unheard of for citizens in a democracy to need the permission of their paid employees, the police, before they can congregate peacefully.
“I’m sorry to say our judiciary is unfit for purpose. It does exactly as it is told by the executive and does not serve the cause of justice. An order is only as useful as its lawfulness,” he added.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]