- Says coordinator arrested while seeking release of colleague
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — The Obidient Movement has called for the release of its Akwa Ibom State Coordinator, Dr Ben Smith, and the State Coordinator of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, Elijah Noah, following their reported arrests during the controversy surrounding a planned Independence Day march in Uyo.
The movement also criticised the decision by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command to stop political rallies, meetings and processions scheduled for October 1, describing the development as a restriction on political expression.
The development followed a directive by the police command ordering political parties, groups and associations to reschedule activities earlier approved for the Independence Day date, citing security concerns. The command said it had intelligence suggesting that some individuals could exploit political gatherings to cause disturbances and threaten public peace.
The planned “Two Million-Man March” was organised by supporters of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The Obidient Movement, in a statement signed by its Media and Communications Directorate, Onyeka Dike, said Smith was arrested after he went with other supporters to seek the release of Noah and other members who had earlier been detained.
The movement demanded the immediate release of the two coordinators and other detained members.
According to reports, Noah was arrested after security operatives moved to stop the planned march, while Smith was subsequently reported to have been taken into custody at Ikot Akpan Abia after accompanying supporters seeking Noah’s release.
The movement alleged that the arrests amounted to intimidation of its members and called for an end to what it described as harassment of opposition supporters.
It said, “The Obidient Movement strongly condemns the arrest of the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Ben Smith, the State Coordinator of the OK Movement, Mr Elijah Noah, and other members of the Obidient Movement by the Nigeria Police during a peaceful march yesterday.
“Their simple offence was for identifying as Obidients, a fundamental human right guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.”
The movement further said the arrests raised concerns about citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and political expression.
It called on the authorities to release the detained members and prevent the disagreement over the cancelled march from escalating.
The group also warned that continued arrests could lead to wider protests, saying it might mobilise its members and supporters for demonstrations in other parts of the country.
“If the authorities continue to ignore our demands and use the police to intimidate peaceful citizens, we will have no choice but to mobilise our members and supporters for wider protests around the country,” the statement said.
The movement had earlier questioned the cancellation of the march, with Smith saying the organisers had spent more than N20 million on mobilisation, branding and logistics across the 31 local government areas of the state. The reported expenditure has been presented as the organisers’ claim.
However, the police have maintained that the directive was not targeted at any particular political group.
Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Baba Mohammed Azare, said organisers of the march had attended a meeting with the command where they were advised to reschedule the event because of security concerns.
The police also said the directive applied to political activities generally and that the decision was based on available security intelligence and concerns over public safety.
The command further said those who proceeded with the march despite the directive were arrested for investigation and that persons found to have violated the directive could face legal action.
The police position contrasts with the Obidient Movement’s account that the arrests were connected to peaceful political expression.
The controversy has therefore shifted beyond the cancelled march to questions surrounding the regulation of political gatherings, the enforcement of police directives and the rights of political supporters to peaceful assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Obidient Movement urged the authorities to resolve the matter and release those it said remained in custody, while calling for restraint by all parties involved.
The post Uyo March Fallout: Obidient Movement demands release of detained coordinators appeared first on Vanguard News.