In a bold rebuke of Monday’s invasion of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by operatives of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (SSS), renowned human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has drawn sharp parallels between the current administration and the infamous military dictatorship of the late General Sani Abacha.
“The spirit of Sani Abacha has taken over the presidential villa,” Effiong wrote on X, condemning the actions of the secret police.
He described the invasion as a clear attempt to stifle dissent, adding, “The invasion of SERAP’s Abuja office by the SSS is unacceptable. President Tinubu’s regime must end the attack on dissent.”
Effiong’s comments came in reaction to reports from SERAP, a prominent civil society group advocating for good governance and human rights in Nigeria.
According to SERAP, officers of the SSS were “unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors.”
The sudden move has sparked widespread concern about increasing intimidation of civil society and opposition voices.
The incident coincided with the arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), by SSS operatives at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja as he prepared to board a flight to the United Kingdom.
Ajaero had been under scrutiny in recent weeks following allegations from the Nigerian government that a Briton linked to the NLC headquarters was involved in a plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu—an accusation the Briton, Drew Povey, has strongly denied.
Effiong’s comparison to Sani Abacha, who led one of the most oppressive regimes in Nigeria’s history, underscored his view that the current administration may be adopting similarly authoritarian tactics.
Under Abacha’s regime, media suppression was rampant, and critics of the government were jailed, including high-profile figures like Moshood Abiola and former military rulers Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Yar’Adua, some of whom tragically died in custody.
In response to Ajaero’s arrest, Amnesty International Nigeria voiced its strong disapproval, calling for the immediate release of the labour union leader.
“The labour union leader must be immediately and unconditionally released,” the rights group stated, adding further weight to the outcry against the government’s actions.
As calls grow for an end to the SSS’s actions, many are questioning what these recent developments signal for Nigeria’s democracy under President Tinubu’s leadership.