Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana has chided President Bola Tinubu for failing to address the demands of the peaceful protesters in his broadcast to the Nation on Sunday.
Falana in a statement on Sunday, Falana stated that the presidential speech fell short of addressing the key demand of the protesters, which is, reversal of the policy of withdrawal of fuel subsidy.
According to the Human Rights Lawyer, “If the government takes the fight against corruption to oil dealers and crude oil is processed in government-owned refineries, there will be no basis for fuel subsidy, which is induced by the importation of petroleum products. A positive response to the key demands of the youths to review the protests could make them review their actions. Insensitivity to their demands can only provoke continued action”.
He congratulated the protesters for drawing the attention of politicians who are “eating” in Abuja to the detriment of millions of Nigerians who are hungry and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all protesters that were arrested and detained, who he said, did not committed any criminal offence.
While strongly condemning the repression of the peaceful protesters, Falana demanded that government should set up commissions of inquiry to bring to justice those responsible for the reckless killings and commiserated with all those who lost loved ones in the protests.
“The family members of the deceased should be adequately compensated by the federal government. The victims of the barbarous police killings should be identified and celebrated as heroes and heroines of the struggle for the emancipation of the downtrodden Nigerian people. Participation in peaceful protests should never be criminalised in Nigeria”, he opined.
