TIB calls for immediate release of #endbadgovernance protesters Lenin, Opaluwa, and Mosiu from police custody

The Take It Back (TIB) Movement, a human rights advocacy group, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Eleojo Opaluwa, Michael Adaramoye—commonly known as Michael Lenin—and Mosiu Abolaji.

The group claims that these individuals were abducted and blindfolded by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) before being handed over to the police in Abuja.

On Monday, TIB reported that Opaluwa, Lenin, and Abolaji were seized by DSS agents for their participation in the recent 10-day nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, which aimed to address issues of hunger, hardship, and poor governance in Nigeria. The group stated that these individuals were detained in Abuja, blindfolded, and then transferred to the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

TIB also demanded the unconditional release of all peaceful protesters currently detained by police and other security agencies across the country for their involvement in the demonstrations.

The organization said, “Protesters nationwide remain in custody after participating in the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. They were abducted and blindfolded by the DSS and then handed over to the police IRT in Abuja. We demand the immediate release of all peaceful protesters without conditions.”

As previously reported that Lenin, a key leader of the #EndBadGovernance protests, was arrested by the DSS early last Monday at his home in the Apo area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

However, the DSS has denied the arrest of Lenin. In a statement on its official X account, the DSS asserted, “The DSS confirms that Adaramoye Michael (aka Michael Lenin) is not in our custody,” although it acknowledged that it had made other arrests related to the ongoing protests against hunger and poor governance in Nigeria.