By SUNNY OKIM

The newly formed political group, Nigerian Consultative Forum a.k.a NCFront, has demanded immediate freedom for young Nigerians arrested by security operatives during a peaceful protest organised under the banner of #RevolutionNow! Movement.

The protest was a peaceful rally held simultaneously nationwide on Wednesday meant to call the attention of government to growing insecurity, poverty, hardship, hunger, bloodletting and avoidable loss of lives and properties in the country.

NCFront in a statement signed by Head of Public Affairs Bureau, Dr Tanko Yunusa, dated Wednesday, August 5 and made available to News Express also condemned the recently announced increase in the fine of what the government terms Hate Speech offence.

The pan Nigerian consultative body, which prides itself as the peoples government in waiting, having recently announced that it is constituting a shadow government to proffer credible alternative to the “self serving governance presently being dished out to Nigerians by the ruling government”, said it is not surprised that the Buhari administration has finally degenerated into a full blown police state by its undemocratic and anti-people’s panicky measures.

The group, which has vowed to form the next government in Nigeria by mobilising Nigerians for what it calls a massive electoral ballot revolution in the country, said protest is a constitutional right of every citizen of Nigeria and that the arrest and continued detention of the young protesters is illegal and high handed.

“For these reasons, those forcefully taken into custody by security agents today deserve unreserved apology and compensation for abuse of their constitutional and fundamental human rights of speech, association and movement apart from also deserving immediate release from their illegal detention,” the statement said.

NCFront, also took a swipe at the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed for, according to it, promoting and hyping an illegitimate and obnoxious policy by what is presently being introduced and promoted as hate speech fine of the Buhari regime.

“We think this policy of government, apart from being obnoxious, is clearly antithetical to democracy and natural laws and therefore ultimately futile and so should be immediately scrapped to avoid unhelpful muzzling of genuine opposition as appears to us as a reincarnation of Decree 2 of 1983 of the military regime under General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB), which smacks of growing intolerance of government to constructive opposition and the voices of the people,” the statement stated.

Continuing, it said: “Consequently, as government in waiting and facilitators of all inclusive democratic consultative process initiated to form a people's government in Nigeria, we call on all well-meaning Nigerians and leaders of conscience to immediately rise and team up with the NCFront as a credible political alternative initiated to end the reckless reign of a political cartel in government running the country as a criminal enterprise.”

Recall that the NCF was launched in July with fanfare parading known activists and political stalwarts including Rt Hon Ghali Umar Naaba, Prof Pat Utomi, Dr Obadiah Mailafia,

Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Prof Jibo Ibrahim, Engr Yabagi Yusuf Sanni, Amb Nkoyo Toyo, Col Umar Abubarkar Dangiwa, Comrade Isa Aremu, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, Dr Kemi George, Barr Dan Nwanyanwu and Dr Osagie Obayuawana.

Others are: Mallam Shehu Sanni, Prof Mrs Remi Sonaya,

Mallam Tanko Yinusa, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, Lady Funke Awolowo, HC Peter Ameh, Ogbeni Lanre Banjo, Barr Mrs Georgina Dakpokpo, Dr Chris Ekiyor, Mr Jude Feranmi, Saadatu Falila Hamu, Mallam Hamzat Lawal, Hajia Khadijat Abdullahi, Mr Alistair Soyode, among others.

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