Femi Fani Kayode reacts to the arrest of some judges

Their homes were raided by hundreds of fully
armed DSS commandos between 1.00 and 2.00 a.m.
this morning. Their streets were surrounded and
sealed up.
Their gates and front doors were smashed open
and they forcefully and violently arrested and
detained. Their families and loved ones were
traumatized and terrorized.
Their staff and members of their household were
held captive, threatened and sent scampering for
cover under their beds.
Yet those that suffered these gross violations of
their fundamental human rights, civil liberties
and indignities were not wily and desperate
politicians or hardened miltary men that were
fighting and conspiring against the government or
plotting a military coup d’etat.
They were not dangerous dissidents or Boko
Haram terrorists.
They were not battle-hardened Niger Deltan
Avengers or seasoned OPC and IPOB fighters.
They were not members of a dangerous and evil
armed cult that were plotting to kill innocent
people and they were not a group of radical and
desperate secessionists or freedom fighters.
They were not angry students or trade unionists
that were planning to block the streets, to stop all
movement and activity, to bring the country to a
standstill or to burn the nation down.
They were none of these things and included none
of these groups or people.
Instead they were all senior and respected
members of the Nigerian judiciary.
They included two Supreme Court judges (one of
whom is next in line to be the Chief Justice of the
Federation) and three Federal High Court judges.
Three are Igbo, one is Yoruba and one is from the
south south.
All of them are southerners.
Governor Wike of Rivers state was almost shot
dead when he attempted to protect the home of
one of the judges in Port Harcourt and stop them
from arresting him.
The truth is that we are in trouble in this
country. The motherland and all that we hold
dear is under attack from a ravenous and
dictatorial President and government.
When those that are constitutionally charged and
empowered to protect us from tyranny and the
abuse of power by a vicious, violent, murderous
and lawless government and its murderous
security agencies are themselves under siege all
hope is lost.
If the judges cannot protect us and if they
themselves have become victims of barbarous
tyranny then it is time for the people to rise up,
take to the streets, resist the evil and fight
against our oppressors.
Sons and daughters of Nigeria, we must not give
in to fear and we must not be silenced.
We must defend the rights of our people and fight
for our homeland.
Now is the time to protest in any way that we
possibly can and to take our country back from
these animals and barbarians. Now is the the time
to say “enough is enough!”
If we do not do so we shall be slaves forever. It is
our God-given right and sacred duty to resist
tyranny in every shape and form.
If nothing else history, scripture and all the Holy
Books of the three great faiths of Christianity,
Islam and Judaism teach us that.
Now is the time to shed our fears and to stand up
like the true patriots and free men and women
that we were born to be and do so.
Now is the time to say “thus far and no further”
and to say “no more” and be our brothers keeper.
Now is the time to stop sitting on the fence and
acting as if all is well.
May the Living God fill us with His Spirit and
grant us courage.
May He strengthen and embolden us.
May He guide, lead, protect and deliver us as we
move forward to confront the evil that plagues
our land and speak truth to power.
May He, at the very end, bless our land and grant
us victory.
(FFK, 8th Oct. 2016)