Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, on Tuesday said the violence that trailed the #EndSARS protest was instigated by the Federal Government.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, claiming that about 99 Nigerian youths were killed in Lagos with several others in other states of the federation.
He accused the Nigerian government of sending troops to kill the youths in Lagos, Oyo, and Benin among other states.
READ ALSO: Planned Protest: Threats Won’t Work, Falana Tells Govt
“The violence that characterised the end of the #EndSARS protest was instigated, fuelled and sponsored by the government.”
“The government decided to unleash hoodlums and thugs on the young people. When that did not work, the government sent troops and soldiers to engage in the killing of young people,” he said.
“In one week, about 99 people were killed in Lagos. I don’t want to talk about Ogbomoso, Port Harcourt, Benin and other places where young people were shot at and killed.
‘Engage Them’
Angry youths have decided to embark on a nationwide protest over the hardship, poverty, and high cost of living among other economic indices.
The protest tagged ‘EndBadGovernance’ is gaining traction on social media, and has been scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organisers of the protest have been faceless.
While President Bola Tinubu had on Tuesday asked the organisers to shelve the planned protest, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has cautioned over the protest, claiming it may turn violent.
But Falana is asking the Federal Government to identify the leaders of the planned protest and dialogue with them instead of threats.
“So, this time around the government should try to identify the leaders of the movement and then engage them, and then the questions be raised. There are demands that are being made, and the government should address these demands,” he said.
“Between now and the first of August is still a long way and I understand the government is going to address the nation. It is also important for governors to really come out and let the people know what they are doing to address hardship in the country which nobody is denying.”
