Rights groups and activists are calling for the urgent release of Hassan Taiwo Soweto and several residents following a violent police crackdown on a peaceful protest against mass demolitions in Lagos State.
The Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights (SNWR) has demanded the immediate release of activist Hassan Taiwo Soweto and others arrested during a Lagos protest. Demonstrators gathered at the State House of Assembly to oppose forced evictions in Makoko and Oworonshoki. The group noted, “The protest was met with brutal state repression,” involving teargas and live ammunition.
Activist Francis Nwapa condemned the violence as a constitutional violation, warning it could trigger wider unrest. He demanded the “immediate and unconditional release of Hassan Taiwo Soweto” and other detainees. The SNWR further called for a halt to demolitions, accusing the government of acting as an “enforcer for land grabbers” by displacing low-income earners for private development.