Human Rights Lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi
Falana has said a group he oversees has identified the barracks where officers
of the military emanated from and shot protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in the
country’s commercial capital Lagos.
Falana said from the investigation conducted so far, the
group, Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 And Beyond (ASCAB) is now gathering facts
that shots were actually fired at the tollgate and people have died from those
shots.
“We have already identified the barracks where the soldiers
left for Lekki, we have already identified the barracks,” Falana said Monday
when he appeared on ARISE News.
He added that “the President was likely to have been told,
soldiers were ordered so I want to believe that’s why it was not addressed and
they said it was a rumour but I think the facts are emerging now, that indeed
soldiers went to Lekki, indeed they fired at protesters and indeed some of the
protesters at least two have been officially acknowledged to have died from
gunshot wounds.”
ASCAB had recently set up an independent National Citizens
Panel of Inquiry to investigate the October 20 shooting of protesters at Lekki
Toll Plaza.
“ASCAB shall establish an Independent National Citizen’s
Panel of Inquiry under a number of conditions Composition of the Citizen’s
Panel of Inquiry shall comprise representatives of credible and identified
organisations of the youth that took part in the #Endsars protest movement,
including the Feminist Coalition, among others; representatives of credible and
tested civil society organisations.
Falana had accused the security agencies of engaging the
services of sponsored thugs to attack peaceful protesters in Lagos and Abuja
for about 12 days.
He said, “It is such state sponsored thuggery that
boomeranged as boys and girls who have been used and dumped by politicians
turned the peaceful protests to a conflagration that engulfed the nation.
Falana also accused the Nigerian government of having no
respect for the rule of law and citizens rights to protest. He said constant
denials from the federal government and its agencies clearly does show Nigeria
as a serious country.
“I have never seen it anywhere in the world where in the
federal capital of a country where you have all the embassies, you have
unmarked vehicles taking thugs round and it was being filmed and the thugs were
being ferried by officials of the government and we are being told it’s not the
State Security Service and in Lagos it was not the Nigerian army that shot.
Such denials do not portray Nigeria as a serious country, because it is the
duty of the government anywhere in the world to trace those criminals and bring
them to book,’ Falana said.
He stated further that the “Nugerian government has no
respect for the rule of law and have ensured they stave off all forms of
protests in the country.
“Every designated venue for protest in the country have been
fenced by government to prevent demonstrations. In Lagos, the Gani Fawehinmin
square in Lagos has been fenced while the Unity fountain in Abuja has also been
fenced, and the same government has said citizens have the right to protest.”
I might not be politically correct. I thought the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. If this is true, then he must have instructed them. However, if he did not instruct them, then the position/office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been undermined. This shows the apparent weakness of President Buhari. The world can now see why his appointees/staffs of the presidency has arrogated so much power on themselves, and why all politicians and so leaders have becomes law unto themselves. The president cannot issue any executive order that can be followed. This is a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteTo those of you who claim you are out to serve your people, but serving you pockets and bank accounts, watch out! I thought service is meant to be service with no remuneration. The fact that there is remuneration means that no politician is serving the people; they actually working to get paid. If that is so their take home must consistent with other workers.