Miyetti Allah asks #EndSARS protesters to quit

The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore says some of the demands of the #EndSARS protesters are difficult to fulfil.

The demand of the protesters are immediate release of all those arrested during their struggle; justice for all deceased victims of police brutality; setting up of an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reported police misconduct; carrying out psychological evaluation and retaining of all disbanded SARS operatives and increase of police salary.

The federal government has accepted the demands and promised to implement them but the protesters have refused to leave the streets.

At a press briefing on Monday, Bello Abdullah, the association’s national president, said it is wrong for the protest to continue when government has made concessions.

He said some of the demands are: “nebulous, inconsistent, haphazard, whimsical, and impossible to meet”.

“For weeks now citizens, especially our youths have taken to the streets to demand an end to SARS/police brutality and also requesting for a reform of the Nigerian Police Force,” he said.

“Thankfully, these demands have been received by the Federal Government, which has ordered arrest and persecution of those police officers involved in extra-judicial killings of citizens.

“And since the Federal Government has heard and accepted the issues raised by the protesters, it is only wise for the protesters to stop as government needs time to implement their demands.

“The protests have yielded the desired results with the government accepting their genuine demands and working to address all of them.

“The insistence to continue to protest even when government has made concessions is wrong.”

Abdullah said the protests, if prolonged, could lead to conflict, alleging some politicians have hijacked it.

“The open defiance is reckless, provocative. Denial of access to means of livelihood can lead to fracas and conflict,” he said.

“While, it is citizens fundamental rights of freedoms of expression, assembly and movement, Miyetti Allah is again alerting the public, that desperate politicians have hijacked the protest for personal selfish reason. This must not be allowed to continue.”