US embassy cable - 03LAGOS2464

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 002464 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE, BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
PASS GUERNEY, LONDON AND NEARY, PARIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, SOCI, XY, NI 
SUBJECT: CIVIL SOCIETY HOLDS RALLY AGAINST CHOGM AND 
OBASANJO 
 
REF: (A) LAGOS 2363 (B) LAGOS 2330 
 
 
1.  (U) SUMMARY:    The United Action for Democracy 
(UAD) held a rally in the Yaba district of Lagos on 
December 3 to protest President Obasanjo's policies and 
governance, as well as the Commonwealth Heads of 
Government Meeting (CHOGM) taking place December 5-8 in 
Abuja.  Mobile Police (MOPOL) arrested six persons, 
including UAD leader Bamidele Aturu, and reportedly 
beat several others.  Journalists were allegedly 
assaulted; and one news agency had its equipment and 
film taken and its reporters were briefly detained. 
The protestors remain in custody at the State Criminal 
Investigation Department at Panti in Yaba.  UAD 
attorneys have requested their release on bail and 
hoped to appear at their possible arraignment December 
4.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
-------------- 
THE YABA RALLY 
-------------- 
 
 
2.  (U) Press reports indicate that over 100 MOPOL, 
armed with batons and AK-47s, had assembled at 0400 on 
December 3 at the Yaba Bus Stop in anticipation of the 
rally held later that day.  UAD demonstrators 
reportedly numbered 1,000 and were soon joined by a few 
thousand more street traders from the nearby Yaba 
market.  After the rally reached Liberation Square in 
Yaba, UAD leader Aturu chastised Obasanjo for 
squandering the nation's wealth, pointing to the 
example of Obasanjo's importation of bulletproof 
Mercedes, reportedly worth 400 million USD, while the 
rest of Nigerians live in abject poverty.  "Obasanjo 
believes the support of foreign governments will make 
him survive, but the Nigerian people will disgrace him 
before his masters," Aturu allegedly said referring to 
the CHOGM.  During Aturu's speech in the square, MOPOL 
used tear gas to disperse the crowd and allegedly began 
beating demonstrators with batons and gun butts.  MOPOL 
also assaulted a television crew from Minaj 
Broadcasting International, confiscated its equipment 
and film, and briefly detained the crew.  Another one 
from Galaxy Television reported being beaten, but was 
able to keep its film footage.  Human rights groups 
reported minor injuries among the protestors. 
 
 
3.  (U) In a December 3 press release, the Civil 
Liberties Organisation (CLO) listed the following 
detainees, in addition to Aturu: Adebowale Balogun, 
President of the Yoruba Revolutionary Movement, 
Chairperson of the Yoruba Democratic Front, and a party 
leader of the National Conscience Party (NCP); Kamilu 
Mustapha of the Youth Democratic Front; Daga Tola and 
Joseph Anua of the Democratic Socialist Movement; and 
Joel Emerole of the Democratic Alternative.  CLO claims 
that their detention is illegal and infringes on their 
constitutional rights of freedom of expression and 
assembly.  The Nigerian Police assert that the 
protestors are being detained for not obtaining a 
permit for the rally.  As of December 5, the detainees 
had yet to be arraigned. 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
TENSIONS LEADING UP TO THE RALLY 
-------------------------------- 
 
 
4.  (U) The UAD, one of the lead organizations behind 
the November strike threat over fuel deregulation, has 
been agitating for the past several weeks and widely 
publicized its intended rally (ref A).  The UAD asserts 
that in response to its vocal opposition of Obasanjo's 
policies and its calls for his impeachment, the State 
Security Service (SSS) has been harassing the group. 
The CLO, which shares offices with UAD, reported that 
SSS personnel visited the UAD secretariat on November 
28 and issued "threats of clampdown," intimidated UAD 
officials, and has been surveilling UAD members. 
Newspapers have also reported that the Director of the 
SSS has listed UAD as a "group perceived as a threat to 
national peace."  Alluding to the December 2 release of 
the Human Rights Watch report alleging human rights 
abuses by the Obasanjo government -- including torture, 
intimidation, extra-judicial killings, and quelling of 
public dissent in the press and society at large - the 
CLO asserted that the violent dispersal of the rally 
and the activities of the SSS "are increasing evidence 
of the Obasanjo Government's attempts to stifle freedom 
of expression." 
5.  (SBU) COMMENT: There is no doubt that there is much 
discontent among the populace.  Abject poverty, endemic 
corruption, and the lack of accountability of the 
federal, state, and local governments are issues 
enflaming discontent.  Civil Society has been 
vocalizing Nigerians' dissatisfaction with the 
Government more audibly ever since the July strikes 
over fuel deregulation.  Although Obasanjo successfully 
prevented another strike over fuel deregulation in 
November that would have coincided with the All-Africa 
Games, Bamidele Aturu and his like-minded colleagues 
continue to carry the torch of civil disobedience and 
public outcry, no matter how dim the flame (ref B). 
Their apparent defeat in November may have impeded 
their efforts, but the rally seems to have motivated 
Civil Society to continue agitating against the GON. 
Nevertheless it has not yet generated broad support 
amongst the body politic.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
HINSON-JONES