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The orchestrated and ordered killing of innocent, peaceful, defenseless and harmless protesters
A thread
https://wagbemiga.wordpress.com/2020/10/21/the-orchestrated-and-ordered-killing-of-innocent-peaceful-defenseless-and-harmless-protesters/
A thread
https://wagbemiga.wordpress.com/2020/10/21/the-orchestrated-and-ordered-killing-of-innocent-peaceful-defenseless-and-harmless-protesters/
My heart bleeds without hindrance as you read these words that is difficult for me to type. I do not know when it will be confirmed that I am dead from excessive loss of blood. What am I doing alive when Nigeria killed her future who meant no harms?
Millennials/Youths like myself who went about peacefully to protest an end to police brutality, demand for better work conditions and welfare package for the police; only to be massacred with the brutal might and despotic ruthlessness of the military and the lethal force of the…
…very police they were protesting for in the first instance.
How do you justify and rationalise the brutal maiming and destruction of defenseless youngsters who were peacefully demanding for a better condition for the police force?
Which law empower the President of a nation and the Governor of a State to unleash terror on hapless citizens? Who is the Commanding Officer who ordered military men to kill innocent children?
Is the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command a human being; is he a father; does he have children? Do these armed men have human feelings? Does blood flow in their veins?
The Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu ordered a curfew by 12 noon to begin by 4p.m. And, in less than 30 minutes later, the Lagos State Police Command had already issued a despotic release, ridden with a lot of grammatical errors.
I say “despotic” because the Governor never placed a ban on peaceful protests in the State, as against the press release by the Police Command. The Governor had stated:
“I, therefore, hereby impose a 24-hour curfew on all parts of the State as from 4p.m. today, 20th October, 2020. Nobody, except essential service providers and first responders must be found on the streets.”
If my elementary English is anything to go by, this implies that everybody, including but not limited to the protesters, should vacate the streets for the next 24 hours; except those listed by the Governor.
But in their characteristic blood thirsty nature, the police were quick to place a ban “henceforth”, “within Lagos State”? On whose authority if I may ask? Or, did Mr. Sanwo-Olu give a different press release to the police command?
I mean, why would the Command insist that “the Lagos State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that henceforth no protest or gathering or possession (in-lieu of ‘procession’), under whatever guise, is permitted within Lagos State”?
The police statement, as signed by Superintendent Olumuyiwa Adejobi, reads further: “It is crystal clear that the Endsars protest has been high-jacked by hoodlums who want to run down the State and the Police Command will resist such state of anarchy, unrest and brouhaha with…
…all powers within the ambit of the law” (emphasis mine). So, let me ask: Is it “within the ambit of the law” for police to open fire on innocent protesters?
Does the law make it permissible for police officers to brutally maim, kill and destroy innocent, defenseless, harmless and peaceful protesters?
May I inquire what the genesis of the protest was in the first instance? Was it not to put an end to police assault, police brutality, police lawlessness, police indignity and police lack of welfare?
In all fairness to the police force, the brutality had stopped in the last 12 days until yesterday. Yesterday when the police and the army came out en-masse with full force to descend on innocent, defenseless, harmless and peaceful protesters.
It was indeed a #BLACKTUESDAYINLAGOS, and by extension Nigeria.
While not exonerating the hoodlums who have highjacked the protests in specified locations within the State, how come the Lagos State Governor could not order an immediate investigation into the veracity or otherwise of the affected locations and the police stations?
At least, the example of the Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Gov. Seyi Makinde; who had empowered the Operation Burst, in his press release, to fish out the hoodlums who have highjacked the protests in his domain, comes in handy herein.
What did he do differently that the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu could not get right; but, in-lieu ordered a clamp down on innocent, defenseless, harmless and peaceful protesters?
More questions begging for answers include: How come the Governor did not give enough time for the people and protesters to get back to their destinations before commencing the curfew?
Why order for an immediate vacation of the streets, knowing full well that the roads are in deplorable states in Lagos State; and that, it would take hours before people can get back to their various destinations within the State?
Does it then mean that this is a calculated attempt by the Governor dancing to the music of the powers that be in forcefully quelling the power of the “lazy” Nigerian youths, as being suggested in certain quarters within the State?
I walked round this morning (Wednesday, 21st October, 2020) to assess the extent of the damage in my locality. What I saw is better imagined (please, be warned).
I saw three (3) corpse of young Nigerians purportedly fell by the bullets of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Olosan Police Station, Odiolowo-Ojuwoye, Mushin.
The DPO was said to have been caught of camera (the video is viral on social media), shooting at innocent, defenseless, harmless and peaceful protesters. Upon inquiry, I gathered that over thirteen (13) Nigerian youths fell to the bullets of the DPO.
Some, they claimed, later died in the hospital.
When the history of the #BLACKTUESDAY in Lagos is writing, it will include the fact that President Muhammodu Buhari and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu both re-ignited, re-invoked, re-energised and reintroduced police and military brutality into our polity.
This, the Nigerian youths had quelled with their 12 days #EndSARS 
#EndPoliceBrutality protests across the length and breadth of the nation. Kudos to President Buhari and Governor Sanwo-Olu.
With a bleeding heart,
‘Wagbemiga Mary-Peter Onifade
Writer/Biographer/Profiler
#EndPoliceBrutality protests across the length and breadth of the nation. Kudos to President Buhari and Governor Sanwo-Olu.With a bleeding heart,
‘Wagbemiga Mary-Peter Onifade
Writer/Biographer/Profiler
