CISLAC: Stop attack on civil society, CDD tells DSS

By Samuel Vincent

As condemnations continue to trail the unlawful invasion of the Abuja office of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has called for the immediate cessation of attack on Nigeria’s civic space by agents of government.

The group warned that intimidation of “lawful civil society organisations’ guaranteed protection by Nigeria’s constitution would not be tolerated.”

In a statement signed by the Director of CDD, Idayat Hassan, and made available to CAPITAL POST, the Group cited a separate incident wherein a staff of the presidency allegedly stooped low to brand civil society organizations as “evil society” and observed that the “attacks (on CISLAC) are one too many” in the series of attempts to shrink the civic space.

The statement reminded all agents of government of the complementary roles that civil society organizations play beyond serving as watchdogs. It highlighted protection of democracy, election accountability, improved healthcare as some of the gains of civil society organizations.

In a show of solidarity, the Group throws its weight behind CISLAC saying, “we stand with CISLAC.”

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had on Monday, December 27, 2021, invaded the Abuja office of CISLAC.

In a swift reaction, CISLAC have since written to the Director-General of DSS, Yusuf Bichi, condemning the invasion, which it described as unprofessional and warning against attempt to militarize Nigeria’s nascent democracy.