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#EndSARS Protests: Set Up Independent Panel, PDP Tells FG
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Federal Government to immediately set up an independent judicial panel to look into the role of security agencies’ handling of the youth’ peaceful protests.
The PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, made the call while addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, on the ongoing #EndSARS protests in parts of the country and the violence trailing them.
Secondus also advised President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a national emergency in the nation’s security architecture, as well as address the protesters and the nation in response to calls by the Senate and other Nigerians.
He explained that as main opposition party, which had carefully watched the development in the protests, PDP was worried about the way the federal and some state governments were handling the peaceful protests.
Secondus noted that for nearly two weeks, Nigeria youths had been revolting through peaceful protests against police brutality as mirrored by a unit of the Nigeria Police force called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
He said that the youth were carrying out the constitutional obligation peacefully across the country without any molestation and registering their grievances appropriately to relevant authorities.
Secondus said while the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, swiftly responded by disbanding SARS, replacing it with Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) squad, the protesters demanded total overhaul of the security architecture.
“This responsibility rests squarely with the Federal Government who controls and manages the Police force.”
Secondus, who called for a minutes silence for those killed during the protests, decried the incident of Tuesday night at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos where some group of armed uniformed soldiers opened fire on protesting youths and allegedly killed some protesters.
The PDP, he said, commiserated with all the victims of the brutal attitude.
According to him, “PDP condemns in strongest term the mindless and inhuman shooting of citizens, an action that runs afoul of national and international laws.
“We also urge the protesting youth to ensure that they continue to be peaceful even in the face of provocations.
“We mourn with the families of those affected and pray that their supreme sacrifice will not be in vain, and that through their bloodshed, God can help heal Nigeria of the malady of poor leadership that has bedeviled the country.”
He, however, advised the Federal Government to take the advice from the PDP and the news conference with seriousness saying that what was going on in the country had nothing to do with political parties or politics.
“Today’s news conference is a very painful one in our nation’s history where we observed that our people who are trying to protect us have suddenly turned against innocent youths.
“This incident does not call for reaction as usual, because everything is taking on sentiment and politics.
“This is not the time to play politics. No one plays politics with life. No one plays politics with insecurity because you never can tell who it will consume. No one plays politics with hunger.
“As you are aware, the politics in Ondo State took a toll on PDP and even the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariats.
“So, you can see in essence it has nothing to do with political parties now. Even when we express our opinion, it should be taken seriously by government, because it is no longer politics.
“We are here today; tomorrow we may no longer be there. What will be the effect on these youth who are supposed to be leaders of tomorrow?”
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.