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ENDSARS: Protest Was Hijacked-Buhari Tells Gowon, Obasanjo, Jonathan Others

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5 years ago

October 23, 2020

President Buhari said ENDSARS protests have been hijacked and misdirected.

News Rain Nigeria reports that President Muhammadu Buhari today, 23, October 2020, during the virtual meeting with the ex-Presidents of the Country confirmed that the nationwide ENDSARS protests have been hijacked and misdirected.

President Buhari at the meeting said, It is so 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, President Muhammadu Buhari told former Heads of State and Presidents of Nigeria.

ENDSARS: Protest Was Hijacked-Buhari Tells Gowon, Obasanjo, Jonathan Others

President Buhari noted that the Government will not fold its arms and allow miscreants and criminals to continue to perpetrate acts of hooliganism in the country.

The President also said that the initial concessions made by his administration on the demands of youths protesting against the excesses of some members of the SARS.

He said that the youths had demanded that the squad be disbanded, and further articulated the additional demands, including:

”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 declared: ”We 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. Instead, they became emboldened and gradually turned violent.” Buhari said.

The virtual meeting had in attendance, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, President Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Gen. Abulsalami Abubakar, and former President Goodluck Jonathan.