In spite of the tragedy that led to the end of the protest by Nigerian youths, demanding an end to police brutality in the country, the 12-day protest, judged otherwise, was a huge success which National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is urging them to build on for political gains in 2023 elections.
The youth in their numbers and bursting energy were able to demonstrate ‘we can’ spirit with demands, not only for an end to the brutality meted out on them by the Special Armed Robbery Squad (SARS), but also for the reform of the entire police force and good governance in the country.
Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary of NHRC, who made this call, noted that the demands of the protesting youth had the buy-in of all and sundry including leaders at various levels of governance.
The human rights lawyer and activist, who spoke at a media programme in Lagos on Thursday, stated that the youth should use the same zeal and energy they used to pursue the EndSARS protest to form a political party for the youth and use that platform to contest elections into executive and legislative positions at federal and state levels.
Read also: EndSARS protest: The youth rage that defined 2020
“Who says they cannot win elections if they can come together as they have done with EndSARS protest? Remember that the youth represent about 67 percent of the country’s population,” he said, stressing that it is that way that they can take over the leadership of the country and stop the old generation from recycling themselves into power.
Ojukwu who described the Lekki massacre as the first of its kind in the history of quelling youth protest urged the government to ensure that those behind the act are fished out and held accountable for their actions.
He welcomed the decision of the Lagos State government to set up an investigative commission of enquiry into the Tuesday killing at Lekki Toll Plaza, revealing that his commission had also set up an independent panel of enquiry into human rights violation by the Nigeria police.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the investigative panel of human rights violations by SARS and other units of the Nigeria Police Force, the executive secretary expressed shock at the use of live bullets against peaceful protesters in Lagos and some other states.
He also called for the arrest and prosecution of hoodlums who infiltrated the protest by attacking police officers and destroying the properties of the members of the public.
