The organisations said the protest is to demand an end to the ongoing prosecution of activist and socialist campaigner, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye, popularly known as Abbey Trotsky.

The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) and the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), have announced plans to stage a solidarity protest at the Magistrate Court 6, Iyaganku Division, Ibadan, Oyo State, today (Wednesday). 

 The organisations said the protest is to demand an end to the ongoing prosecution of activist and socialist campaigner, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye, popularly known as Abbey Trotsky.

The groups announced the planned protest in a short statement released by Francis Nwapa, National Secretary of YRC.

The groups said that Bamigboye will reappear on Wednesday in connection with four-count trumped–up criminal charges of conspiracy to commit breach of public peace, unlawful assembly, assault and malicious damage levelled against him by the Nigeria Police Force at the instance of Sumal Food Limited in Ibadan.

According to Nwapa, their demand is immediate dismissal of all trumped-up charges instituted against Bamigboye.

They are also demanding an end to casualisation and other anti-labour activities allegedly engaged in by the food company.

“Join us at Magistrate court 6, Iyaganku division,  Ibadan by 9am tomorrow, 23rd April, 2025, as we organise a solidarity action to demand an immediate dismissal of trumped-up charges instituted by the Nigeria police at the instance of Sumal Food Limited against Abbey Trotsky,” Nwapa wrote in the announcement.

SaharaReporters in February 2024 reported that Bamigboye, who is the Chairman of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), is facing criminal charges instituted by the Oyo State police commissioner at the instance of Sumal Food Limited.

Bamigboye and the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) had supported the struggle of casual workers, treated like slaves in Sumal Food in 2018 for decent pay and conditions, hence the use of the police and judiciary for persecution.

His case came up on 20th February, 2024 at the Iyaganku Magistrate Court in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

However, the Chief Magistrate to whom the matter had been reassigned denied Bamigboye the right to continue to enjoy the previous bail conditions despite the application even after the police prosecutor informed the court that Bamigboye (Abbey Trotsky) had never been absent from the court since the matter started in 2019.

The magistrate rejected the application, claiming that the previous bail bond couldn’t be found in Bamigboye’s case file and that the matter was starting “de novo” (over again).

A fresh bail condition was later given after which the magistrate refused to sign the bond despite having been perfected, and an order to remand Bamigboye (Abbey Trotsky) at Agodi prison was given instead.

The only excuse given by the magistrate for not signing the bail bond was that the photocopy of the national ID presented by the surety was not clear enough.

However, the same bail bond was later approved around 5 pm following the intervention of the Oyo State NLC Chairman and members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

The prison warders were also prevailed upon not to leave the court premises until the bail condition was eventually approved.

Some of those who reportedly quickly intervened in the matter in solidarity with Bamigboye included Barrister Ola Adeosun, Barrister Kunle Adesina, Barrister Rashidat Adeshina, Barrister Bimpe Adelowo, Barrister Isaq Yusuf and Bar Emmanuel.