When Advocacy Becomes a “Security Issue”:
Are Nigerian Authorities Silencing Cyber and Civic Activism in Ogun State?
Recent developments in Ogun State have raised serious concerns about the shrinking space for civic engagement, cyber activism, and peaceful advocacy.
The reported detention of Pastor Kayode Olawoye by the Department of State Services (DSS), following his persistent public agitation for good road infrastructure, mirrors an emerging pattern that deserves sober national reflection.
According to reports, Pastor Olawoye was invited repeatedly by the DSS “for a chat” and is now allegedly being detained. His known “offence” in the public domain appears to be his consistent use of media platforms to demand better road conditions for the people of Ogun State—an issue that squarely falls within citizens’ rights to demand accountable governance.
This case bears striking similarity to other recent incidents in the state, where individuals who publicly questioned governance decisions or demanded transparency reportedly faced intimidation, arrest, or prosecution.
A Pattern That Raises Red Flags
When viewed collectively, these incidents raise uncomfortable questions:
Why are peaceful demands for basic amenities increasingly treated as security threats?
Why are security agencies involved in matters that are fundamentally civic and administrative?
Why do critics of governance appear more vulnerable to state power than perpetrators of violent or economic crimes?
The earlier impeachment of Wale Adedayo, Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, is instructive. His removal—later nullified by the court, with ₦30 million damages awarded against the state—was reportedly triggered by his insistence on receiving statutory allocations to run local government affairs. The judiciary’s ruling strongly suggested abuse of political power, not misconduct on his part.
When court judgments, media reports, and repeated arrests all point in the same direction, citizens are justified in asking whether institutions are being used to silence dissent rather than solve problems.
Cyber Activism Is Not a Crime
Cyber activism, media advocacy, and public agitation are now central to modern democracy. Social media, religious platforms, and community media have become tools through which ordinary Nigerians speak truth to power—especially where traditional channels have failed.
Demanding:
Good roads
Proper use of public funds
Accountability from elected officials
is not sabotage, extremism, or subversion. It is participatory democracy.
When activists, pastors, journalists, or bloggers are repeatedly invited, detained, or prosecuted without clear evidence of criminal conduct, the message sent to society is dangerous:
“Speak up at your own risk.”
This creates a chilling effect, where citizens choose silence over engagement—not because they are wrong, but because they are afraid.
The Bigger Question: Governance or Intimidation?
The real issue is not about personalities, but governance culture.
A confident and competent government responds to criticism with:
Policies
Performance Dialogue Measurable results
Not with arrests, detentions, or security intimidation.
Security agencies exist to protect citizens from real threats—not to manage public opinion or suppress advocacy for development.
What Should This Be Called?
This situation should not be reduced to name-calling. The appropriate terms are more precise and more powerful:
Democratic backsliding
Criminalisation of dissent Weaponisation of state institutions
Intimidation of civic space Erosion of freedom of expression
History is clear: societies that punish voices instead of fixing problems eventually face deeper instability.
Conclusion
If calling attention to bad roads, unpaid allocations, or governance failures leads to arrests and detention, then the issue is no longer about security—it is about the health of democracy in Ogun State.
Governments are elected to serve the people.
Citizens are not enemies for demanding that service.
Silencing activism does not erase problems—it only postpones accountability.
Author:
Okulaja Olawale Kehinde
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