We’ve not seen the end of #EndSARS protests, says Aisha Yesufu the great human rights activist and supporter of the #Endsars movement.
She reiterated these opinions of hers and that of the #EndSARS movement on Tuesday december 08. 2020. When she said that the demonstrations against police brutality have not ended, despite the decision by the federal government to prevent another round of protests.
Nigerians, both within and outside the country, and the world at large witnessed for close to two weeks in the month of October, how numerous citizens took to the streets in practically all the nooks and crannies of all the state of the federation to exercise their rights to peaceful protest and to vent their frustrations on their standards of living and to protest particularly against police harassment and brutality under the #EndSARS campaign.
The protest initially began peacefully and was well organized by all involved but with the passage of time things took an ugly turn as it was it according to many, dubiously hijacked by suspected hoodlums, who launched attacks on police stations, correctional facilities, prisons, courts, and other government and private properties across the country. Several Nigerians, including security operatives, lost their lives during the violent crisis
As a result of the past negative occurrence, the minister of police affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, speaking with members of the press after a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on November 17, quoted President Muhammadu Buhari as saying that “he will do whatever it takes to ensure a repeat of EndSARS protests does not occur in Nigeria.”
As a follow up to the statement by the president, there was heavy security presence in selected locations across the country on Monday, following reports of a proposed gathering by youths and citizens for a repeat of the protests.
Meanwhile Aisha Yesufu However, speaking with correspondence from Arise TV on Tuesday 8, 2020, said the federal government and police have no right to place a ban on peaceful protesters especially when they are unharmed. According to her the police and security personnel only needed to be informed of the protests, so they can protect the activists, adding that the allegiance of the police should be to the Nigerian people and constitution, not to the president.
“I would say, the Nigerian police should understand that their allegiance is to Nigeria and the Nigerian people and the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria and not to the president and the ruling party, and the right to protest is guaranteed under the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria,” she said.
“We’ve not seen the end of #EndSARS protests. Protests come in different forms and I tell you, this generation is sick and tired of being hounded to death.”
While the federal government is working hard to ensure that a repeat of the protest does not occur, it is more imperative for them to fix the problems that generated the protest in the first place in the opinion of many.
Nigerians are weary of a second phase of this protest especially those who lost loved ones and businesses but they are more interested in an improved standard of livelihood as things are not easy for the common man.
Hopefully the president Buhari led administration would harken to the cries of the citizens and avoid a repeat of the #endsars protest.
Gift Joseph Okpakorese
Staff Writer
