Hunger nationwide protests: Organised Civil Society urges Tinubu to dialogue with protesting youths, slams security agents for alleged killings

The statement tagged, “Appraisal & Recommendations on the Day One of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Nationwide Protest of August, 2024 – Civil Society Protest Monitoring Situation Room” was signed by the Head, Coordinating Secretariat, United Action Front of Civil Society, Comrade Olawale Okunniyi (Veteran Che).

The situation room report which covered the first day of the protests across the country said in part, “We wish to condemn in strongest terms the brute force and violence unleashed on unarmed Protesters in various Protest Centres by security agents, especially the extra judicial killings of civilians by security agents as reports received from our field volunteers have revealed contrary to the assurances given to us by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun during our consultative meeting with him on Tuesday.

“We find this show of force and reckless use of force unacceptable and therefore call on the IGP to immediately call his men to order before the situation degenerate beyond control.

“The Nigerian police force urgently needs to improve on their professionalism, while redoubling their tactical capacity in managing civil protesters and in apprehending miscreants and hoodlums sponsored to infiltrate and discredit civil protests.”

Calling on the Tinubu-led federal government to dialogue with the protesting youths, the civil society said,

“…as Leaders and Conscience of our country, we wish to call on the government to immediately engage the leaders of the nationwide protests in Abuja and the various states to avert further protests.”

Below is the full statement (unedited):

Media Release

Friday, 2nd August, 2024

Appraisal & Recommendations on the Day One of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Nationwide Protest of August, 2024 – Civil Society Protest Monitoring Situation Room

The organised Civil Society of Nigeria having observed critical incidents recorded on the first day of the nationwide citizens protests on hunger and hardship in Nigeria tagged #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protests wishes to report our observations and appraisal of the nationwide citizens actions to both the Nigerian public and the international community as received at the situation room of the United Action Front of Civil Society from our various monitors on the protest fields in different states and Abuja as follows:

1. Death toll – 21

2. Injuries – 175

3. Number of arrests: 1,154

4. Curfews declared: 1. Yobe, 2. Maiduguri, 3. Kano.

5. States with cases Police brutality and Citizens’ violence: 1. Abuja, 2. Adamawa, 3. Bauchi, 4. Bayelsa, 5. Cross Rivers, 6. Gombe, 7. Kaduna, 8. Kano, 9. Katsina, 10. Kebbi , 11. Lagos, 12. Osun, 13. Niger, 14. Rivers, 15. Zamfara, 16. Borno, 17. Yobe, 18. Delta

6. States where peaceful protest was recorded: 1. Plateau, 2. Taraba, 3. Delta, 4. Ebonyi, 5. Edo, 6. Benue, 7. Nasarawa, 8. Abia, 9. Ogun

In the light of the above data, we wish to condemn in strongest terms the brute force and violence unleashed on unarmed Protesters in various Protest Centres by Security Agents, especially the extra judicial killings of civilians by security agents as reports received from our field volunteers have revealed contrary to the assurances given to us by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun during our consultative meeting with him on Tuesday. We find this show of force and reckless use of force unacceptable and therefore call on the IGP to immediately call his men to order before the situation degenerate beyond control.

The Nigerian police force urgently needs to improve on their professionalism, while redoubling their tactical capacity in managing civil protesters and in apprehending miscreants and hoodlums sponsored to infiltrate and discredit civil protests.

Similarly, we decry the unfortunate looting and vandalisation of both private and public properties worth billion of Naira mostly in the Northern States by unknown persons suspected to be sponsored to discredit the peaceful Protests by enemies of the Nigerian people. These unknown agent provocateurs recruiting miscreants and hoodlums with peanuts to act outside the plan and mandate of the initiators of this peaceful protests should desist before they are exposed and dealt with by the citizens of Nigeria.

Finally, as Leaders and Conscience of our country, we wish to call on the Government to immediately engage the leaders of the nationwide protests in Abuja and the various States to avert further Protests.

For the avoidance of doubt some of the key demands of Protesters are: reduction of the fuel price to pre January 2023 Price of ₦167 per litre as they are also opposed to fraudulent subsidy payment regime, Reduction of Electricity Tariff to pre December 2022 Price to boost the economy, implementation of free conversion of vehicles to use affordable Compress Natural Gas, CNG, immediate presidential action to plug corruption, profligacy and waste in government, Reduction of high cost of governance by slashing the emoluments and allowances of government officials and political office holders by fifty percent of what they currently earn and lastly, the urgent democratic constitutional reconfiguration of Nigeria’s governance structure to make democracy work for all.

We are very convinced that urgent steps on the part of government in this direction will douse the growing tension in the country and avert further Protests and strikes. Government will have nothing to loose in squarely engaging the leaders and initiators of this nationwide citizens mass demonstrations but avert further crisis in the country.

Signed

Olawale Okunniyi

(Veteran Che)

Head, Coordinating Secretariat

United Action Front of Civil Society