Zulum warns #EndSARS protests could turn to ‘another Boko Haram saga’

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has warned Nigerians to handle the #EndSARS protests carefully to avoid “another Boko Haram saga”.

Governor Zulum said this on Friday while fielding questions from State House reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

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He warned that: “The whole Boko Haram saga started as a result of the protest by some youths in Maiduguri against the use of helmet by motorcycle riders.

“You have seen the situation now; over one million people have been displaced and the most affected population are the vulnerable, the youths.

“Some of those that led the protests have left Borno State. They are either staying in Abuja or Lagos or abroad. We have to be very careful.”

Zulum, while speaking on how he avoided the #EndSARS protests and the panel constituted thereafter, said: “The issue of transparency, good governance are very important.

“Whatever we are doing in Borno State, we are ensuring that the entire public are well involved.

“Fortunately, Borno State received the palliatives early enough and within two weeks of receiving them, we had distributed to the deserving ones.

“So, in Borno State, the entire situation did not take such dimension as that of Lagos because we told them to sit down and examine the situation and recall the past when the situation was so bad.

“Now, there is emerging peace in Borno State and we don’t want anybody to disrupt the peace.

“The youths are with us. We are taking very good care of them.

“Palliatives are distributed to them as at when due.

“We are giving them some certain financial support and I think the best way every Nigerian should seek for his/her right is through legitimate means, otherwise we are not going anywhere. Peace is very important.”

He condemned police brutality in parts of the nation and the killings of #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Tollgate in Lagos.

On the other hand, he also condemned what he called “the excesses” of some of the Nigerian youths “in taking the laws into their hands by destroying some of our infrastructures in attempt to support the legitimate demands of ENDSARS protesters.”

He advised every Nigerian to demand for rights through legitimate means.