Promoters and partakers in the #EndSARS protest in Nigeria have been urged to give peace a chance and allow government time to implement their demands, which the government has acknowledged.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Delta State on Security and Intelligence Gathering, Hon Basil Ishiekwene, made the appeal yesterday while observing the level of compliance with the curfew imposed in the state at Asaba, the state capital.
He however expressed happiness that the declaration of a 48-hour curfew, which took effect on Thursday by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, was yielding desired results.
Specifically, Ishiekwene urged the youths to see reasons with the government on the need to obey the curfew, which became inevitable because criminal elements had obviously hijacked the no-police-brutality protests.
The recent spate of vandalism, arson and destruction of public buildings and defacing of monuments and centres in Asaba and Warri were pointers that miscreants had undermined the genuine agitation for faster reforms in the country’s police force through peaceful protest, with the hoodlums unleashing mayhem on the general public across the land, he noted.
However, the governor’s aide advised the youths against attacks on security agencies and condemned destruction of government buildings and infrastructure which constitute commonwealth and enhance the aesthetic quality of our environment.
While restating the fact that government recognised citizens right to protest societal ills, he said such must be done peacefully and without taking laws into their hands or trampling on the rights of innocent citizens.
“The events of the last few days in our country Nigeria have put the nation on the brink”, Ishiekwene said, adding, “We have seen peaceful protests hijacked by enemies of the people who went ahead to unleash untold hardship on the people.
“Lives have been lost and public buildings weren’t spared; the peaceful protest have been hijacked by hoodlums and the curfew will stop the looting and stealing of the property of innocent people doing their legitimate businesses.
“Attacks on Correctional Centres and freeing of inmates will increase the insecurity we are crying about and we should also stop destroying the things that we might need tomorrow.”
