The National Christian Elders Forum, led by former defencce minister, Gen Theophilus Danjuma has slammed the President Buhari’s – led administration over its failure to manage the #EndSARS peaceful protest that culminated in the killing of unarmed protesters by military officers.
The group had insisted in a resolution, after Thursday emergency meeting, that the current imbalance is producing sorrow and poverty in the country; which calls for a renegotiation
The resolution titled, #EndSARS – It is time to renegotiate Nigeria was made available on Sunday, by NCEF Secretary, Bosun Emmanuel.
In the resolution, the group demanded that whoever had authorized military officers to perpetrate the Lekki massacre must be court-marshaled for murder.
Thus, the resolution read partly, “The current situation was mishandled by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari because the army was released against unarmed protesters in Nigeria. Whoever authorised the deployment of troops to face the protesting youths should be court-marshalled for murder.
“It is curious that a government that claimed it negotiated with terrorists and integrated them into the military could not negotiate with unarmed protesters but chose to shoot them. This double standard that is characteristic of the Buhari administration is condemnable.
It is time to renegotiate Nigeria,’ read partly, “It is time to re-negotiate Nigeria. The time is ripe for Nigeria to be re-negotiated. The political imbalance in the country has produced nothing but sorrow, poverty, and death for Nigerians. The unjust and sectional political structure left behind by the British colonialists is no longer sustainable.”
While expressing regrets over the loss of lives and damages that have trailed the peaceful protest, the group demanded an investigation into the incident following circulated reports insinuating the government’s role in disrupting the protest.
“NCEF wishes to express great sorrow at the recent events in the country which commenced with nationwide protests against the excesses of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and climaxed in the death of some of the unarmed protesters, security personnel, and mindless destruction of properties. All the lives lost are Nigerian and there was no need for any of them to have died.
“There must be full National Assembly inquiry into the causes of death and destruction that trailed the peaceful #EndSARS protests…. The government must be fully investigated for the role played by security agents in transporting, and supervising vandals and thugs to attack the protesters
“The prison breaks and widespread arson should be diligently investigated as there are allegations of government complicity to discredit the protest,” the resolution read.
The group also appealed to the EndSARS protesters to discontinue the protest, stating that the point has been made that though “Nigerians are tolerant and patient, they are not docile.”
Speaking on the need to introduce the state police, the group noted, “This is the appropriate step under the circumstances to ensure adequate and effective security nationwide and henceforth localise any case of police excesses to the states.
“The failure of government to declare state police at this point should be interpreted to imply that a centrally controlled police is desired by the government in order to continue to provide state cover for marauding Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers, bandits and Boko Haram,” they added.
