#NigerianWomenArise, a group of women from across the geopolitical zones, of diverse background from private, government, public service, grassroot, religious, traditional and non-profits organisations, have condemned the killing of #EndSARS protesters.
After a webinar attended by over 400 women, the group, in a statement jointly signed by Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi and Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, called for the immediate constitution of an independent ‘Judicial Panel of Inquiry’ that will include credible civil society organisations and professional bodies to probe the killings.
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“We demand that Government immediately investigates and identifies the thugs that were hired to disrupt the protests nationwide and differentiate them from the #ENDSARS protesters.
“It is the responsibility of the Police to remove perpetrators of violence from the streets and ensure diligent prosecution thereafter.
“We demand for withdrawal of the Army from the streets and employ peaceful modes of engagement in policing to provide security for the #ENDSARS protesters.
While reminding the government that freedom to engage in peaceful protest is a democratic right, “Nigerian Women consider it despicable and unacceptable the deployment of ‘unknown soldiers’…to quell the protest with brute force and disperse the protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate Lagos.”
They insisted that the circumstances surrounding the assault on them, which included the removal of security cameras and turning off the lights at the Toll Gate, clearly indicated that it was planned and intended to inflict grave physical harm and even death to the protesters.
“We believe that this reprehensible action is what has stirred up the retaliative acts of violence by some youths, which have escalated into unmanageable street violence, arson, destruction of government and private properties, as well as looting that is now being witnessed across the country.
“Furthermore, Nigerian Women believe the violence we have seen could have been prevented if government, at all levels, had intervened timely to constructively engage protesters whose demands for an end to SARS, police brutality and good governance, were in the public domain.
They said the situation was compounded when the Police authorities hurriedly embarked on a renaming ceremony of SARS to SWAT without any effort at rebuilding the confidence of the aggrieved youths in its institution and the firm silence of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi throughout the protests.
“This grave error on the part of government and the Police reflect a misreading of the mood, determination and popular support the protest had garnered across the sections of the population.
“We affirm that in a democracy, citizens elect their leaders during elections to protect all their human rights, including their rights to life, peaceful assembly, expression and protest.
“The Constitution of Nigeria not only guarantees these rights to Nigerian citizens, it states that the protection of the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“The killing of protesters in Lagos and other states of the federation is a gross violation of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and breaches the covenant between the government and the governed,” they insisted.
