It has been a black, bloody week for Nigerians. Lives and limbs have been lost. Many have also been injured as armed security operatives, alleged to be from the Nigerian Army, opened fire on peaceful protesters who were only demanding for better governance and an end to police brutality.
This, indeed, is a sad reality. It is one that has existed long before now and still defines how bleak the future of the country is.
Conflict and corruption have defined Nigeria so far and, if care is not taken, will be the undoing of this country.
Once again, we question Nigeria’s democracy. Should the reward of a peaceful protest – which is a democratic practice – be the cause of death of the protesters?
This is barbaric and unbecoming of both the federal and state governments.
We understand it is an act of civil disobedience for some Nigerians to disobey curfew restrictions set by the Lagos state government. But for that to result in direct gunshots at protesters was way overboard.
The lives of citizens should be preserved, not destroyed. This act will only worsen the already bad image of Nigeria to the rest of the world. The negative economic effect of this can only be imagined.
Mostly unacceptable is the silence of President Buhari – the Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces – in the killing of protesters.
Obviously, the president cannot claim he is not aware of the current mayhem in the country, most especially in Lagos. Yet he has refused to speak or give a direct order to the military to stop shooting at innocent Nigerians.
Agreed that hoodlums may have infiltrated the protest, causing havoc and looting properties, but it is the duty of the security officers to intelligently identify them and take them out of the rest while ensuring a peaceful protest.
That was not done. Instead, innocent protesters who held the Nigerian flag and sang the National Anthem were massacred.
When one examines the mode of the genocide this week, it raises suspicion as to what the motives of the armed security personnel were and whose orders they carried out.
Why were security cameras taken out, lights put off before the killings? Also, the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu maintained no one was killed during the shootings despite live streaming of injured and dead protesters by fellow protesters.
These activities will further aggravate the issues. Already, some Nigerians are retaliating, targeting and burning down houses, buses, offices, stations etc.
To stem the chaos, President Buhari must firstly order the military to stop shooting at protesters but carry out their operation in a manner that won’t result in the death of innocent Nigerians.
Secondly, Buhari must break his silence and address the nation – not via twitter, but through a live broadcast – pledging his commitment to addressing the valid demands of the protesters.
Over the years, the Nigerian youths have endured the irregularities of the government but have now decided to stand up for a better Nigeria. We cannot deny them the right to a peaceful protest.
As it stands, Nigerians have lost trust and respect for the current administration. More disturbing is the hashtag ♯ThereWasACountry, signifying the death of Nigeria. Many aren’t proud of the country anymore and have, in a way, given up on the country.
The trade-off here is the development of a nation with so much potential. We risk losing our greatest asset – the Nigerian people – to other countries. There is still a chance to rectify all of this, but justice must prevail.
Conflict and corruption remain the worst pandemic plaguing Nigeria not COVID-19. The government has failed the people over the years and all they, the people, are demanding is better governance.
These killings must stop so that peace can be restored.
