Is Tinubu the Adolf Hitler of Nigeria?

By Anuoluwapo Lebi

In an open letter titled, ‘President Bola Tinubu, Time is Going’, The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams said President Tinubu is behaving like German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945, Adolf Hitler. Gani Adams stressed that Tinubu had disappointed many Nigerians who thought he would be the messiah they were waiting for, adding that the country has become worse since he became the President.

President Bola Tinubu has obviously not only disappointed Nigerians, but he has also decided to be narcissistic, insensitive, oppressive and tilting towards being an autocratic leader.

The disregard for human rights by Tinubu led administration with the use of security agencies to harass oppress and suppress voices of hungry Nigerians, especially protesters and journalists is threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

Nothing is more provocative and demeaning than illegally arresting, detaining, assaulting and most intimidating and charging peaceful protesters with treason. This action is refreshing our memories to dark military era which Tinubu and some of his aides fought as Pro-democracy Advocates. These demonic and barbaric pattern aimed at scaring Nigerians from speaking against the many evil in the current administration.

Disdainfully, another disgusting trend was successfully invented by the Tinubu-led government- limiting protesters to designated location is a gross abuse of freedom of expression, peaceful association and movement. Despite this repressive effort to silent voices of hungry Nigerians, the Nigeria state still attacked and murdered peaceful #Endbadgovernance protesters at designated areas.

The Punch reported on August 2nd, 2024 that “No fewer than 17 persons were feared killed in Abuja, Kano, Niger, Borno, Kaduna and Jigawa during the #Endbadgovernance protest which was held across the country on Thursday.
“One person was shot dead in Abuja and Kano, two killed in Jigawa, six others were reportedly gunned down by security forces in Niger, while four died in Borno and three in Kaduna.

Daily Trust also reported that four teenagers and a would-be bride were killed by security agents during the protest in Kano and Zaria between Thursday and Tuesday, when Egbetokun spoke.

Another punch report on August 30 reads “A freelance journalist, Ayoola Babalola, was arrested alongside an unconfirmed number of protesters by security operatives in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on Saturday.

“The development is coming as protesters seeking an “End to Bad Governance” and economic hardship in Nigeria trooped to the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on the third day of the nationwide protests which began Thursday.

“Babalola posted his arrest on WhatsApp status on Saturday afternoon, a few moments after security operatives suspected to be men of the Department of State Services shot at protesters and journalists at the stadium.

“PUNCH correspondent covering the protest earlier reported how he, alongside other journalists, narrowly escaped gunshots fired by the operatives, with the car belonging to a Premium Times journalist riddled with bullets.”

Few days ago, human rights lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong stated that “It is important for the international community to impose severe sanctions on agents of democratic destabilisation in Nigeria.” Noting that “Rather than address the government’s failures, and the ravaging hunger in the country, this incompetent regime has resorted to pettiness and oppression.”

He further condemned the arrest of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS). He lamented that the Tinubu-led administration had turned civil protests into a grievous offence of treason.

Alarmingly, Tinubu’s governmrnt’s clampdown on the fourth estate of the realm is a tremendous pointer to the intense animosity for press freedom and the principle of transparency. Under Tinubu, Journalists have suffered illegal arrest, detention and assault. Premium Times confirmed that at least 28 journalists, including a PREMIUM TIMES reporter, were either arrested or attacked while covering the #EndBadGovernance protests across Nigeria.

The media further noted that apart from Mr Mohammed and Jide Oyekunle, the Abuja NUJ chairman, 12 other journalists were assaulted by police operatives in Abuja, Cross River and Borno states, according to the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
The failure of the police to provide adequate security also emboldened hoodlums to attack journalists.

“In Delta State, journalists were attacked by pro-government protesters who assaulted protesters intending to disrupt their demonstration,” CJID noted in a statement signed by Busola Ajibola, the organisation’s Deputy Director, Journalism Program.

“Some of the journalists who fell victim to this attack are Guardian Newspaper reporter Monday Osayande and Punch Newspaper reporter Matthew Ochei. They were both attacked while interviewing protesters.”

“Weapon-bearing hoodlums” also injured a reporter with African Independent Television (AIT), while covering the Thursday protest.” Premium Times reported.

On May 1, Ojukwu, a reporter with the privately owned Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), went missing and his phone was switched off, leading his outlet to report him as missing to the police in Lagos state, according to news reports.

Ojukwu was arrested over his November report, which alleged that Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, paid 147 million naira (US$106,154) of government money for school construction into a restaurant’s bank account, according to the FIJ and its founder, Fisayo Soyombo, who spoke to CPJ.

Another investigative journalist and Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa, Adejuwon Soyinka was arrested by Operatives of the Department of State Services at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Sunday, the 25th of August, 2024.

Disdainfully, the Department of State Services (DSS) after the release of the seized passport of the former BBC editor, Adejuwon Soyinka, it allegedly blamed his arrest on “possible mistaken identity,” according to a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who accompanied the journalist to retrieve his passport.

While some journalist were lucky to get public attention, which facilitated their quick freedom, many journalists have illegally remained in detention for performing their legal and professional duties.