Falana: Government introduced violence into #EndSARS protest

Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, says the violence that marred the #EndSARS protest of October 2020 was sponsored by the government.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, Falana said the government “unleashed” hoodlums on the peaceful protesters.

A planned nationwide protest scheduled for August 1 to 15 has been making the headlines.

The protest tagged ‘#EndBadGovernance’, has evoked memories of the nationwide anti-police brutality protests of 2020 which led to fatalities, arson, and the torching of mass transit buses.

President Bola Tinubu has asked youths to shelve the protest.

Reacting to the development, Falana said the federal government is concerned that the proposed protest may be hijacked by hoodlums, which will lead to violence.

The lawyer said his experience with protests in Nigeria shows that it is government that introduces the violence.

Citing the EndSARS example, Falana said it was the government that sponsored thugs and sent soldiers to disperse the protesters.

“I have followed the debates, concerns and worries of the government. The government has not denied the rights of Nigerians to protest because it is a constitutional right,” Falana said.

“What I think the government is worried about is the possibility that violence might occur.

“From my experience with protests, young people and workers have never gone out determined to engage in violence.

“Now, people are now distorting our history by saying ‘in 2020, young people were violent’. No!

“The attack on the youths started in Alausa when a notorious transporter sent thugs to attack unarmed protesters. The same thing happened in Abuja, Benin, and Port Harcourt.

“The government decided to unleash hoodlums and thugs on the young people. When that did not work, the government sent troops and soldiers to engage in the killing of young people.

“In one week, about 99 people were killed in Lagos. I don’t want to talk about Ogbomoso, Port Harcourt, Benin and other places where young people were shot at and killed.

“The violence that characterised the end of EndSARS protest was instigated, fuelled, and sponsored by the government. This time around I think the government is beginning to learn from the past.”

Falana asked the federal government to engage with the leaders of the planned protest and meet their demands.