Residents of Osogbo, Osun State were thrown into confusion and panic on Thursday as youths protesting against police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) clashed.
The shop owners and passersby around Old-Garage, Olaiya, Ogo-Oluwa and Oke-Fia scampered for safety when the protesters had a disagreement amongst themselves and started fighting.
It was gathered that some of the protesters were members of cult groups and they clashed over a supremacy tussle.
A faction of the protesters were seen in Osogbo on Thursday brandished weapons and this caused panic among the residents.
Some of the protesters said their struggle was hijacked by hoodlums to unleash mayhem on the people.
As some of the protesters were harassing people, some thugs believed to be members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers surfaced, drove the protesters away from the road and restored peace.
The Programme Director of Centre for Sustained Dialogue, Waheed Saka also faulted the trend EndSARS protest has assumed.
Saka said “I support EndSARS, I support reform of the police, but the infiltration of criminals in the agitation is unacceptable and condemnable”.
Similarly, a rights activist in the State, Adebola Ajayi, faulted the violent nature of the protest, warning that trampling upon the rights of the people under the guise of ENDSARS protest simply defeats struggle to challenge ills and whip police back to line.
“As a matter of urgency and responsibility, the government of Osun must quickly come to the rescue of the people in the state and stop the seeming madness,” Ajayi stated .
Also, another activist, Wasiu Ibrahim expressed displeasure on the events of the past days in the state, saying there is total erosion of clarity of purpose and coordination in the EndSARS agitations.
According to him, the situation where supposed protesters suddenly turned to street urchins and looters, government must take speedy action to protect the general public in line with its statutory obligation .
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