Nigerians have seen all sorts of “drama” at play in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest. While the government is busy freezing bank accounts of prominent #EndSARS promoters and seizing the passports of some; one Kenechukwu Okeke, a supposed Human Rights Activist, is filing a lawsuit against fifty prominent Nigerians who lent their voices and resources in the fight against police brutality and bad governance.

According to reports, Okeke filed a criminal complaint before a Chief Magistrate court in Abuja against Fifty #EndSARS promoters for allegedly instigating a “riot” that led to the loss of lives and property.

The defendants are a mix of celebrities from different walks of life including Aisha Yesufu, Sam Adeyemi, Oseyi Etomi, Rinu Oduala, Yemi Alade, Peter Okoye, Paul Okoye, Kanu Nwankwo, Deji Adeyanju, Dr Joe Abah, Banky W, Kiki Mordi, Modupe Odele, Burna Boy, Uche Jombo, Tiwa Savage, Ayodeji Makun, Folarin Falana, Apaokagi Maryam, Ayo Sogunro, David Adeleke, Pamilerin Adegoke, Japheth Omojuwa, Micheal Collins, Chinedu Okoli, Yul Edochie, Innocent Idibia, Debo Adebayo, Feyikemi Abudu etc.

The lawsuit has taken many Nigerians by surprise especially for the fact that it is coming from a youth and self-acclaimed Human Rights Activist – one who is expected to understand the plight of fellow young Nigerians who took to the streets to fight for their rights which has been so often trampled upon by security operatives. And to make matters worse, the government looks away while innocent Nigerians are being oppressed.

The government has come up with so many narratives as well as instituted actions to discredit the #EndSARS protest and its promoters to suit their interest. On the other hand, what exactly could be the motive behind Kenechukwu Okeke’s lawsuit filed in Abuja against all fifty of these #EndSARS promoters many of who are not resident within the said court jurisdiction? Could it be eye-service, busy body or mischief?

A critical examination of some of the incidents leading up to Okeke’s lawsuit may help us understand whether or not he is acting on his own or perhaps, he’s got some strong backing from the powers that be which emboldened him to file a lawsuit against these fifty persons.

First of all, we would recall that the #EndSARS protest started peacefully but was unfortunately hijacked by government-sponsored thugs who were empowered to infiltrate the ranks of the peaceful protesters and cause chaos and turn the narrative against the genuine protesters. Despite the video evidence that proved many of these thugs were brought by state officials in their cars, the government still insists it was the peaceful protesters who turned violent – very typical of many governments in Nigeria to “give a dog a bad name before hanging it.”

Not only did the government attempt to paint the #EndSARS protesters black in the eyes of the public, it also tried to clamp down on free speech by revisiting the controversial Social Media Bill (through calls by prominent politicians in the governing party) which seeks to regulate the use of social media among Nigerians. It all boils down to the fact that social media played a big role in the success of the #EndSARS campaign and drew the attention of the international community to the oppression of young Nigerians – further infuriating the government. 

CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, who was one of the staunch supporters of young Nigerians in their fight against police brutality and bad governance, subsequently had a $1 billion lawsuit filed against him by a former APC Presidential Aspirant in the person of Adamu Garba, for endorsing the #EndSARS protest. Garba also petitioned the court to ban the use of Jack’s app in Nigeria which served as a launch-pad for the #EndSARS protest. 

We can also recall that the petition against the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen which led to his removal from office in 2019, was filed by a private individual, Dennis Aghanya, Executive Director of an NGO known as the Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative.

Interestingly, Mr Aghanya was a media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari between 2009 and 2011 according to reports. Hence, it was suspected that the presidency had a hand in the petition which he filed against the CJN but Aghanya denied the allegations.

The CJN’s removal from office based on a private individual’s petition at a time that a crucial Presidential Election was approaching makes it difficult to discountenance the allegations that he must have had strong backing from somewhere, somehow. Hence, many Nigerians did not buy Aghanya’s story.

Perhaps, these are strong points that shows government in Nigeria can go lengths to get at anyone they wish to deal with; no matter how altruistic the motive of the perceived enemy is. With all these happenings, we might want to carefully observe the outcome of Mr Kenechukwu Okeke’s lawsuit against the #EndSARS promoters to be able to tell whether or not he is acting on his own or he is up to some mischief.

In spite of this, the persons listed in the petition should heed the counsel of legal experts and file counter actions to avoid stories that touch. This is Nigeria!

Uroupa Kiakubu