The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has demanded for the immediate and unconditional release of a youth activist and the National President of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Mr. Ikenga Ugochinyere, who was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Ugochinyere was arrested and his office broken into by sledge hammer-wielding DSS operatives, who stormed his private office at about 2a.m. in the Garki area of Abuja.

The CNPP in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, said: “It is disturbing that the DSS has made its Gestapo style operation a routine modus operandi since the arrest of judicial officers, even when it is unnecessary.

It said: “The DSS should be reminded that Nigeria is still under a civil rule and in a democracy, and not a military junta, where citizens are intimidated and harassed at will by agents of government.

“From available information, at no time was the young, an enterprising youth activist, decline any invitation by the service to warrant his arrest at the wee hours of the night.”

The CNPP, according to the statement, “is reminding Nigerians that this was the style of President Muhammadu Buhari government in the 80s as a military Head of State.

“We therefore wonder if this is an extension of that military regime where citizens are whisked away at will.

“What Nigerians should know is that unless the appetite the government’s agent of coercion is tamed, it will derail Nigeria’s democracy.

“While we call on the international community and lovers of democracy to take note of the anti-democratic tendencies of this administration, we demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Ikenga, who is being arrested for the second time this year.

“He was arrested in May this year and detained by DSS for one month and later released without any charge till date. This act is condemnable, an act of intimidation and we condemn it in its entirety.”

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