Youth Rights Campaign, Allies Storm Ibadan Court to Demand End to Abbey Trotsky’s Prosecution

The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) and the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) have announced plans to hold a solidarity protest today, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at Magistrate Court 6, Iyaganku Division, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The demonstration is being organized in protest against the continued prosecution of Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye—popularly known as Abbey Trotsky—a socialist campaigner and activist. The protest was confirmed in a statement issued by Francis Nwapa, National Secretary of YRC.

According to the organizers, Bamigboye is facing “trumped-up” four-count criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit breach of public peace, unlawful assembly, assault, and malicious damage. These charges, they claim, were filed by the Nigeria Police Force at the behest of Sumal Food Limited, a company based in Ibadan.

Nwapa called for the immediate dismissal of all charges against Bamigboye and demanded an end to casualisation and other anti-labour practices allegedly carried out by the food company.

“Join us at Magistrate Court 6, Iyaganku Division, Ibadan by 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, for a solidarity action to demand the immediate dismissal of the trumped-up charges instituted by the Nigeria Police at the instance of Sumal Food Limited against Abbey Trotsky,” Nwapa urged.

In February 2024, SaharaReporters had reported that Bamigboye, who serves as the Chairman of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), is being prosecuted by the Oyo State Police Command following his and CDWR’s involvement in supporting casual workers at Sumal Food during a 2018 campaign for improved pay and working conditions.

On February 20, 2024, Bamigboye’s case came up again at the Iyaganku Magistrate Court. However, complications arose when the Chief Magistrate, to whom the case was reassigned, refused to allow him to continue under his previous bail terms—despite a confirmation from the police prosecutor that he had never missed a court appearance since the matter began in 2019.

The magistrate ruled that the case would begin “de novo” (afresh), citing the absence of the earlier bail bond in the case file. Although new bail conditions were later met, the magistrate refused to sign the bond, citing a blurry photocopy of a national ID presented by the surety. Consequently, Bamigboye was ordered to be remanded at Agodi Prison.

The situation drew swift responses from key figures and organizations, including the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), who intervened to prevent the activist’s remand.

The bail bond was eventually signed around 5 p.m., with help from a team of lawyers including Barristers Ola Adeosun, Kunle Adesina, Rashidat Adeshina, Bimpe Adelowo, Isaq Yusuf, and Emmanuel.