Lekki massacre: Name individuals, institutions behind the act, TMG urges Buhari

Anthonia Duru

Following shootings of peaceful and unarmed #endsars protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, on Tuesday, Transition Monitoring Groups (TMG) has condemned the act.

“We are deeply horrified at the blatant abuse of constitutional power and disregard for established rule of law on the part of government and those in authority, as is exemplified in the deliberate violation of peoples’ right to associate and assemble and to protest peacefully,” the group in a press statement signed by its chairperson Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi and made available to our reporter on Thursday states.

“We condemn the action of the government to use measures of war and unleash terror on the youth of the country who have made legitimate demands of the President as a result of the continued violation of their rights by the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS), a government agency known for extra judicial killing of innocent citizens, harassment and extortion of Nigerians an in particular the youths.”

TMG in the statement further call on  President Muhammadu Buhari to show accountability as President and address the nation on his knowledge of the individuals and or institutions of government involved in the issuing of the order to murder unarmed protesters across the country.

“We call on the president to, as a matter of urgency, express his commitments and that of his administration to uphold the Rule of Law, protection and guarantee Human Rights of Nigeria citizens.”

The group also condemn attacks by hired thugs, and demand for the investigation and bringing to book of those who violently attacked citizens who were peacefully exercising their civic rights.

“We state for emphasis that we recognize the rights of citizens to protest, but we condemn and find intolerable situation where in exercising that right, groups of citizens are deliberately instigated or sponsored to orchestrate and visit violent attacks on fellow citizens who are equally exercising their rights.

“We note that the series of violent attacks which played out in the open and witnessed by the entire world on live media coverage, actually took place in the presence of security officers and personnel who stood by and allowed the attack on peaceful protesters to take place. We also wish to emphasize that this attack on the peaceful protests is only the latest in an ugly trend involving the unleashing of rented crowds to harass and attack dissenting voices

“We call on the international community to call our government to order, to stop and halt this slide towards the outsourcing of security duties to armed and unruly non- state actor formations.

“We further call on the government to immediately release all the countless protesters arrested and detained for exercising their constitutional rights across the country since the #EndSARS protest commenced.”

The group which also states in the statement that it stand in solidarity with Nigerian youths and their #5for 5 demands further call on the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to reprimand and bring to account all the named officers of SARS  and soldiers responsible for some of these flagrant acts of violation of citizens, “We also join forces to demand that  the FGN constitute an independent panel of enquiry to address police extortion and violation of human rights in Nigeria; the condition of service  of the police and other law enforcement agencies and other vices affecting the Nigerian Police system and others; for a more effective delivery of services to the Nigerian people.

In demanding the release of all illegal detainees and prisoners of conscience of the #EndSARS protest in the last ten days. We note with disappointment the manner in which the government has continued to handle the youth demands,  we  urge the youth protesters  to continue making their legitimate demands, believing that  that  the government will finally bow to their demands and do the needful.”