The Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) has condemned the arrest and harassment of Comrade Lanre Arogundade at the Murtala Muhammadu International Airport, Lagos, by the Department of State Security (DSS) on his return from a foreign trip.

Additionally, DSM wants the federal government to halt further harassment and attacks, not just on Arogundade but other civil rights activists.

Arogundade, a journalist and a former President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and reputable activist, was reportedly arrested at the airport on Thursday, February 10, 2022, on his return from a professional trip to The Gambia.

Arogundade is also a foremost Socialist and a founding member of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), a working class-oriented Marxist organization which fights with working people, youth and the poor for their immediate demands and stands for the abolishment of capitalism and the Socialist transformation of Nigeria.

DSM, in a statement by the Organising Secretary, Peluola Adewale, noted that Arogundade’s ordeal might not be unconnected with his outspokenness during one of the Labour’s Planning meetings on how to succeed in the now suspended planned anti-subsidy removal protests nationwide protests.

“Hence, we consider his ordeal at the hands of the DSS as part and parcel of the growing incident of egregious attacks on democratic rights and targeting of activists, Socialists and journalists which have become rife under the civilian dictatorial regime of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The excuse given by the DSS that his ordeal was a result of mistaken identity is hard to believe. However, if it is true, then the most appropriate thing is for the DSS to tender an unreserved public apology to Comrade Lanre Arogundade and ensure such does not repeat itself,” the DSM Organising Secretary said.

The group said it was raising its voice so as to prevent Arogundade from being eliminated like one of its members who was at loggerheads with authorities of Lagos State University, and was being hunted by the DSS, who was mysteriously killed at the university gate.

“This is important to us because just last year, precisely on 18 August 2021, another member of the DSM, and student activist, Comrade Yusuf Nurudeen Alowonle (Omomeewa), who had been facing persecution by the authorities of the Lagos State University (LASU), with the assistance of the same DSS, ended up being brutally murdered at the gate of the University in suspicious circumstances by yet-to-be-apprehended assailants.

“Up till now, the Police authorities have failed to carry out any serious investigation into his suspicious murder,” DSM stated.

According to the group, Arogundade had undergone similar treatments as was meted to him at the airport last Thursday by the DSS.

“The truth, however, is that this is not the first time Lanre Arogundade has experienced similar treatment at the hands of DSS agents and it is not unconnected to his views and activities as a journalist as well as Socialist and pro-worker activist.

“For instance, as recent as Wednesday 19 January 2022, Lanre Arogundade was a participant at the planning meeting called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the Congress secretariat at Yaba, Lagos, to map out strategies for the proposed nationwide protests against fuel subsidy removal.

“At this meeting, Comrade Lanre spoke eloquently, critiquing past betrayals of the leadership of the labour movement while advancing the appropriate methods and programmes for labour to pursue the anti-subsidy removal struggle to victory.

“Even though the protests did not eventually take place, partly because the Federal government caved in by suspending the policy in the meantime, we are sure that Lanre’s harassment is not unconnected to such activities and interventions in the struggles of the working people and youth,” the statement read in part.

DSM, therefore, called on the “Buhari government to halt any further harassment and attacks, including digital surveillance, another name for spying, on journalists, activists and Socialists.”

The group also demanded freedom for of all those detained or were under various persecutions for political reasons. “They include Omoyele Sowore, Agba Jalingo, over 200 #EndSARS protesters as well as several journalists, bloggers and ordinary citizens,” Adewale said.

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