President Muhammadu Buhari says it is unfortunate that the initial genuine and well-intended protest of youths in parts of the country against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was hijacked and misdirected.
The President told former Heads of State and Presidents of Nigeria, Friday in Abuja.
In a virtual meeting with the former leaders, President Buhari reiterated that the government will not fold its arms and allow miscreants and criminals to continue to perpetrate acts of hooliganism in the country.
At the meeting were all living past leaders, including General Yakubu Gowon, President Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Chief Ernest Shonekan, General Abulsalami Abubakar, and former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The President recounted the initial concessions made by his administration on the demands of youths protesting against the excesses of some members of the SARS.
He recalled that the youths had demanded that the squad be disbanded, and further articulated the additional demands.
“These are the immediate release of all arrested protesters, justice for deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families, setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct within 10 days, psychological evaluation and re-training of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be re-deployed; and increase in Police salary.”
The President in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, declared that the government accepted all the demands and proceeded immediately to scrap SARS and started the process of addressing the other demands.
Unfortunately, the protesters refused to call off the protest and engage the government to address their grievances, which eventually turned violent.
President Buhari expressed concern that in the mayhem that ensued, many lives have been lost, a number of public and private properties completely destroyed or vandalized.
Reiterating his pledge to Nigerians from the nationwide broadcast Thursday, the President reaffirmed that his administration will continue to improve good governance through our democratic process including through sustained engagement.
President Buhari thanked the former Heads of State for attending the meeting and their invaluable comments, observations, and advice hinting that ”Nigerians expect nothing less from responsible statesmen.”
Each of the former leaders commended President Buhari for steps taken so far to restore calm and order to the country and also applauded the presidential broadcast of Thursday as detailed and soothing to the country.
The former heads of state were unanimous in their view that generation of employment and growing the economy including through direct foreign investments were critical to checking youth restiveness.
They also expressed their condolences to the bereaved families of civilians, policemen, and soldiers killed as a result of the violent protest, and reaffirmed the commitment to respect the fundamental rights of citizens, including for peaceful protest as enshrined in the Constitution.
They called on youths to pursue peaceful means, in seeking redress through engagement with the government and encouraged further conversation with the youths and other stakeholders in the country.