President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, berated the people he referred to as subversive elements, alleging that they were bent on using #EndSARS protesters to cause chaos and truncate the democracy of the country.
Buhari said this in a national broadcast, urged youths calling for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and police reforms to suspend their protests.
He advised them to resist the temptation of being used by those he described as subversive elements, adding that his administration would not tolerate anybody undermining the country’s unity.
Buhari addressed the country two weeks after the youths demanding for the disbandment of SARS started their protest
However, eminent Nigerians and #EndSARS protesters, who reacted to the President’s speech, berated him for his failure to comment on the shooting of unarmed protesters by the Nigerian soldiers in Lekki, Lagos. Adding that his broadcast lacked empathy.
Although SARS was disbanded by the Federal Government on October 12, the protesters insisted that government had not met their demands, which included release of all persons arrested and justice for victims of police brutality and setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct (within 10 days).
Other demands included psychological evaluation of all the disbanded SARS operatives before being redeployed and police salary should be increased.
The protests, however, took another tragic dimension on Tuesday when officers of the Nigerian Army shot protesters, who were holding Nigerian flags and singing Nigeria anthem in Lakki, Lagos. Scores of protesters were killed in Lagos and other part of the country by security agents and hoodlums.
Also, several police men were reportedly killed in the violence.
On Thursday, President Buhari insisted that the youths protesting against police brutality must immediately stop their protests.
He warned that the youth must not allowed themselves to be used against democracy, adding that this would undermine the country’s security which his administration would not tolerate.
The President said, “I would like to appeal to protesters to note and take advantage of the various well-thought-out initiatives of this administration designed to make their lives better and more meaningful, and resist the temptation of being used by some subversive elements to cause chaos with the aim of truncating our nascent democracy.
“For you to do otherwise will amount to undermining national security and the law and order situation. Under no circumstances will this be tolerated.
“I therefore call on our youths to discontinue the street protests and constructively engage government in finding solutions. Your voice has been heard loud and clear and we are responding.
“And I call on all Nigerians to go about their normal businesses, and enjoin security agencies to protect lives and properties of all law-abiding citizens without doing harm to those they are meant to protect.”
He further warned “those who have hijacked and misdirected the initial, genuine and well-intended protest of some of our youths in parts of the country, against the excesses of some members of the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.”
President Buhari Cautions International Community
The President also caution international community from making hasty pronouncements on the situation that had turned international attention to Nigeria.
He asked the international community to first seek for the facts of the matter before making positions.
Buhari said, “To our neighbours in particular, and members of the international community, many of whom have expressed concern about the ongoing development in Nigeria, we thank you and urge you all to seek to know all the facts available before taking a position or rushing to judgment and making hasty pronouncements.”
Buhari Ignores the Shooting of Unarmed Protesters By the Nigerian Army
Surprisingly, President Muhammadu Buhari in his speech, ignored the issue of armed Nigerian soldiers, who at the Lekki toll gate on Tuesday, shot unarmed protesters who were holding Nigeria flag and singing the National Anthem.
The action of the Nigerian Army was what led to the subsequent vandalism of public and private properties in Lagos and other states on Wednesday and Thursday.
The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had claimed that he was not aware of the deployment of soldiers in the protest site, instotuting an investigation into the matter.
Many observers had indicated that troop could not be deployed in any location without the knowledge of the President, who remained the Commander-in-Chief.
Few hours after his broadcast, eminent Nigerians and senior lawyers lashed out at Buhari over his silence on Lekki toll gate killings, and key issues of the #EndSARS protests.
