Atiku Seeks Investigation into Killing of Young Protester in Zaria By Soldiers

*Sani: Guns, tanks can suppress, not extinguish the fire, blames Tinubu for violence in North

*NHRC condemns teenager’s killing  

*Activist wants those waving Russian flag tried

*State govts urged to tackle protests’ root cause

Chuks Okocha, Michael Olugbode in Abuja, Sylvester Idowu in Warri and Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has called for an investigation to know why a young protester in Zaria, Kaduna, was gunned down by soldiers.
In a statement calling for an investigative probe, Atiku said, “The decision to detain the soldier responsible for this unfortunate incident marks a commendable step towards accountability and preserving the rule of law.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, added: “I have consistently advised the service chiefs and military commanders that the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters must not be authorised.
“Upholding the principle of accountability is paramount, and the actions taken by the Nigerian Army in apprehending and, hopefully, prosecuting the soldier responsible for this incident align with this fundamental principle.

“Even amidst conflicts, it is crucial to adhere to rules of engagement. Soldiers should not be deployed to suppress civil rights protests”, Atiku stressed.
Atiku, has however condemned the invasion of the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) by security agents.
He said whoever ordered the invasion by a combined team of security officials should be held accountable.

Atiku, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, said such clandestine raids on civil liberties has no place in democracy.
“The invasion of the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress by persons believed to me security operatives whether singly or as a combined team stands condemned.

 “The practice of such raids without a valid court order and in the wee hours of the day reflects the current administration’s desire to hold on to the vestiges of military dictatorship which the NLC, civil society and the media fought so hard to end and birth the democratic rule we enjoy today.
“Events of the last couple of weeks have shown this administrations growing obsession with militarization of our polity.”
 Atiku’s Media Team Reacts
Atiku’s Media Team has equally accused the handlers of President Bola Tinubu of attempting  to hoodwink Nigerians into believing that the president has a listening ear.

 The media team lambasted Tinubu’s media handlers for using old video of the president appealing to Nigerians to cover up for his poor outing during his last national broadcast on the #Endbadgovernance protests as evidence of this duplicity.
 Paul Ibe, the media adviser to Atiku in a statement, in Abuja,  said, “In the afternoon of Wednesday and on Day 7 of the #EndBadGivernanceInNigeria protest, the official X handle (formerly known as Twitter) of President Bola Tinubu posted a video clip of the President appealing to Nigerians to relax the protest and give his administration more time.

 “The video went viral on the social media and it was adjudged to have shown more empathy for the concerns of protesting Nigerians, unlike the shambolic speech by the President on Sunday that will forever be remembered in ignominy.
“Curiously, much later in the evening of the same day, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, made a post on his X handle telling the country that the video clip that was posted on the President’s handle ‘is not a new video. It’s a clip from a broadcast he made last year.’ What a wawu!
“The scenario says a lot about the character of the Tinubu presidency, the proficiency of his media managers, and the attitude that the presidency accords the current #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest.”

TUC Condemns Invasion of NLC House

At the same time, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), has condemned the recent invasion of the Labour House, headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, by security operatives.
In a statement by the TUC president, Festus Osifo, the Union said the alleged confiscation of books from the NLC library, by security agents who claimed were in search of “End Bad Governance” materials, is a troubling act.
It said  the incident raised serious concerns about the violation of fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and expression.
‘This action represents an overreach by security forces and poses a threat to the democratic principles that allow for peaceful dissent and free expression.
“We consider this invasion a direct attack on the rights of Nigerian citizens to freely express their views and to access information.
“The TUC calls on the federal government to immediately launch a thorough investigation into this incident. Those responsible for authorising and executing this operation must be held accountable.”

Sani Blames Tinubu for Violent Protests

In the same manner, a former senator, Shehu Sani, has blamed the violence that trailed the nationwide protests in some parts of the north on President Bola Tinubu, stating that the flame generated by the protests could be suppressed but never extinguished.
Sani has blamed the violent turn of the #Endbadgovernance nationwide protest against hunger and hardship in the Northern region on President Bola Tinubu.
While reacting to the development, Sani in several posts on his X account blamed the violence on Tinubu.
“Northern leaders must take lessons from the recent violent uprising in the region. The President must be held to account, but he is not the problem or the solution to the problem.

“The governors, political, business, religious, traditional leaders and the intellectuals of the region must converge and urgently come out with an implementable master plan to tackle the decades of endemic poverty and destitution, Illiteracy, Chronic underdevelopment, abject neglect, religious extremism and terrorism that has demonised the region and impoverished its people.
“Guns and tanks can suppress the flame but not extinguish the fire. The monster in our homes was not created in a day. The North should look at the mirror and not the telescope. We have the cattle to build our wealth, we shouldn’t be looking for a scapegoat.”

NHRC on Killing of Protester in Zaria

At the same time, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has condemned the alleged killing of a 16-year-old teenager, Isma’il Muhammad by a soldier, during the 24 hours curfew in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu while reacting to the incident said it was particularly troubling given the Commission’s previous advisory on the excesses of law enforcement agencies during the protests.
He reiterated that the right to life was sacrosanct and could not be violated under any circumstances, noting that the use of lethal force against unarmed civilians, especially minors, was unacceptable and a clear violation of international human rights standards.

 CEPEJ on use of Russian Flag

Similarly, the National Coordinator of Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) Chief Mulade Sheriff, has called on the federal government to urgently investigate and prosecute culprits waving Russian flags during EndBadGovernance protests to avoid a reoccurrence.
The Delta State-based activist, in a statement yesterday in Warri,  also listed five key areas the President Bola Tinubu-led government needed to address to lessen the hardship currently experienced in the country.
On the Russian flag episode, the CEPEJ Boss noted that waving of Russian flag was a treasonable offence with strong implications for Nigeria and stressed that the #EndBadGovernance protest has “nothing to do with waving of any other nation’s flag” as Nigeria is a sovereign nation that has its own internal socio-economic issues.
This, nonetheless, state governments have been advised to get involved in addressing the issues that sparked the hardship protests.
President of Cosmo Base Consortium, Rev Benson Ezem, made the call while reacting to the aftermath of the  protest with consequential loss of lives and properties.
He said though the protest was essentially directed at the federal government which dictated Nigeria’s macro economic policies, the states had their roles to play in tackling the issues that caused the anger in the land.
“The states must begin now to address some of the issues raised during this protests. They are to see themselves as the quasi-federal government,” he said.

ActionAid on Poverty Eradication

ActionAid Nigeria has said the priority of government should be to take suffering far away from citizens, insisting that government’s policies should tend toward eradicating poverty.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) lamented that the rate of injustice and poverty in Nigeria was an eyesore, noting that the interplay of these factors had not only fractured the nation along ethnic diversity with dire consequences of civil unrest, leading to many of social upheavals the citizens face today.
In an effort to put the issue in perspectives, ActionAid Nigeria, yesterday, launched its new 10-year Country Strategy Paper (CSP), titled “Citizens’ Action to End Poverty and Injustice 2024-2034.”
Speaking at the event, the Country Director of ActionAid, Andrew Mamedu highlighted the role government needs to play in making sure that citizens enjoy equal right.

Continental Body on Rights Violation

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), through its Country Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Nigeria, Honourable Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso, and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point on Reprisals in Africa, Honourable Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, have expressed reservations over respect for human rights during Nigerian protest.

A statement by both Country Rapporteur on human rights situation in Nigeria,  Honourable Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point on Reprisals in Africa, Honourable Rémy Ngoy Lumbu showed concerns on the handling of human rights issues during the protest.

The statement read: “The Commission has received numerous reports that on 2 August 2024 and subsequent days incidents of clashes and fatalities took place in the context of the response of security and law enforcement personnel of Nigeria to the protests taking place in the country under the theme #EndBadGovernance.

The commission deplored the tragic loss of life of at least 13 individuals during demonstrations in the context of the response of security and law enforcement agencies. Such loss of life when attributed to the actions of security or law enforcement forces could amount to violation of Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter).