The Black Law Students’ Association (BLSA) at McGill University has issued a formal petition to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Olaiwola Fatai, calling for the immediate withdrawal of charges against activists Hassan Taiwo Soweto and Dele Frank.
The two men were arrested following the January 28, 2026, protest against forced evictions and demolitions in Lagos.
In a letter signed by Co-President Blain Haile, the association—which includes several Nigerian law students—characterized the prosecution as an attempt to suppress lawful dissent. It described the trial as an embarrassment to Nigeria on the global stage.
The BLSA noted that while the case began under the previous administration of Jimoh Moshood whom they accused of being renowned for human rights abuses, they said that the responsibility to rectify the situation now rests with Commissioner Fatai. The students argued that continuing the trial undermines the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
”When peaceful protest is met with criminal sanction, it raises fundamental questions about whether the law functions as a tool of protection or an instrument of control,” the association stated.
The letter emphasizes that the eyes of the international legal community are on Lagos. The students expressed deep concern over what these actions signal to the next generation of lawyers and the broader implications for Nigeria’s democratic standing.
The association highlighted a July 2025 Federal High Court ruling that reaffirmed the fundamental right to protest. ”The legitimacy of any legal system depends not only on the existence of rights, but on the willingness of state institutions to respect and uphold them in practice.”
The BLSA urged the Commissioner to use his office to uphold the rule of law by halting the prosecution, arguing that criminal law should never be used to penalize civic participation.
”Actions that appear to criminalize dissent risk undermining confidence in Nigeria’s commitment to democratic governance,” the association warned, adding that the withdrawal of charges is a necessary step to affirm Nigeria’s commitment to constitutional freedoms.