Listen to Nigerian youths’ demands before protests get out of hand, community leader warns Buhari
A community leader, Chief Toyin Amuzu has advised the Nigerian Government to heed to call for adequate reform of the police in transforming the country, stressing on need to engage the youths in roundtable talk as stakeholders before the situation gets out of hand.
Penpushing reports that, Amuzu who is the Okanlomo of Ijeun community of Abeokuta, made the call while reacting to the youths protest against police brutality, which is ongoing on across the country
The community leader stated that the genuine concerns of the youths must be well looked into, adding that their demands to end police extortions, harassments, illegal arrests , detentions and wanton killings especially by the disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad,(SARS),was in order, when done peacefully.
“Though the SARS unit of the police had been disbanded, there is the need for urgent general overhauling and reformation of the Nigerian Police, to put a permanent end to police brutality and misconduct, rather than the hurried Special Weapons and Tactics, SWAT unit, created by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu “.
“The principal objectives for establishing and funding various security agencies was to ensure security of lives and properties of Nigerians and to defend the territorial integrity of the Nation. It was wrong for any police officer, expected to protect the people, to shoot at any peaceful protester, who as citizens have rights to protest peacefully under the law”.
Penpushing further reports that, he therefore called on the Inspector General of Police to investigate the incidences of no fewer than 10 peaceful protesters, who were allegedly shot dead or injured across the nation, including Jimoh Isiaka who was shot dead in Ogbomoso ,Oyo State and bring erring officers to book.
The Egba chief stressed the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to improve police welfare, trainings, terms of service and motivation that could create a better policing and start reworking Nigeria as a whole.
Penpushing also reports that, the community leader warned political office holders to be up and doing in ensuring the nation gets better, hence the youths would question them, stressing,” the youths have been ignored for too long, but now they have showed that they have a voice that must be given attention’.
The youths have demonstrated commitment and showed that they can rise up when the occasion warrant it and speak out while the whole country and the entire world would listen to them”, he emphasised.
