Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, and Seyi Makinde, his
Oyo counterpart, have reacted differently to the #EndSARS protests.
Aggrieved Nigerians have taken to the streets over the
brutalisation and killing of innocent people by some operatives of the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
In the Ogbomosho area of Oyo, one Jimoh Isiaka was shot dead
during the #EndSARS protest, on Saturday.
An unspecified number of protesters were reportedly killed,
still in Ogbomosho, on Sunday.
In Lagos, two protesters were reportedly killed by the
police in the Surulere area of the state, on Monday.
Despite video evidence, Muyiwa Adejobi, spokesman of the
Lagos state command, said he was only aware of three policemen who were lying
in the hospital after being shot by “fully armed protesters”.
Although Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police,
announced a ban on SARS after the nationwide outrage, protesters have refused to leave the streets,
demanding police reform and the release of all arrested protesters.
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Major roads were blocked in Lagos and Oyo on Monday,
worsening the traffic situation.
In a statewide broadcast, Makinde condemned the killing of
innocent people, asking the police “to take a back seat” while other security
agencies monitor the protest.
“I cannot imagine the pain and frustration of the parents or
families of those who have died or are hospitalised as a result of the action
of the Nigeria Police Force during this EndSARS protest,” Makinde said.
“As I stated clearly in my earlier statement, peaceful protests
are a legitimate way for citizens to make their grievances known to the
government, and it is totally unacceptable for anyone to be hurt during such
protests.
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“Last night, I held an emergency meeting with the heads of
the main security agencies in Oyo state and we have agreed that the police
should take a back seat as other security agencies take the front line.
“Therefore, we have deployed members of operation burst to
the hot spots, especially Ogbomosho, to ensure that as people protest, they
will not be harassed or brutalised. To the protesters, I say continue to
protest peacefully. These are trying times and I pray that God will give us the
wisdom to navigate this.”
But in a series of tweets on Monday, Sanwo-Olu who had
earlier addressed the protesters in the Lekki area of the state, begged
aggrieved residents to take a break in order to douse tension.
He said he would discuss the way forward with President
Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.
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