At Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, Lagos State, the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organising Committee has declared a three-day mourning period to honor the individuals who have lost their lives during the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest across the country.
Following a closed-door meeting among organizers on Tuesday, the committee, comprised of Hassan Soweto, Ayoyinka Oni, and Oloye Adeniji, issued a statement signifying the three days of mourning. The period is set to start on Wednesday, August 7, and conclude on Friday, August 9, 2024, with a public symposium and candlelight procession.
In a bid to show support for the fight against hunger and hardship, the committee urged all Nigerians and supportive youths to personally observe the mourning days. This may involve wearing black attire, displaying movement graphics on social media profiles, and other individual acts to demonstrate solidarity with the fallen heroes.
According to the statement, “We also urge them to participate in collective activities such as the X Space event tomorrow, as well as the public symposium and candlelight procession on Friday, marking the culmination of the mourning period.
“Our decision to proceed with this action is driven by two main factors: firstly, the Lagos State Government and the Commissioner of Police have consistently shown that they are not committed to ensuring the peaceful assembly rights of protesters without disruption.
“This is evident in the continuous allowance of state-sponsored thugs to attack and harm our members at Ojota and Alausa. On Monday, 5 August 2024, as the protest was concluding, a group of armed thugs targeted peaceful protesters under police supervision.
“Similar incidents occurred earlier in the day at Alausa, Ikeja, where the police not only failed to intervene but actively participated in robbing our members of their belongings,” the statement outlined.
The organizing committee highlighted these incidents as part of an ongoing pattern of violent attacks on protesters, suggesting collusion between the police and thugs to suppress dissenting voices. Due to safety concerns at Ojota, the committee opted to revise strategies and explore alternative forms of engagement to continue the advocacy beyond the initial ten-day period.
“We strongly condemn these unjustified attacks on peaceful protesters and law-abiding citizens. We demand a public apology from the police and the return of stolen items from our members who were supposed to be protected,” the committee emphasized.
“The second rationale behind our action is the observation that President Tinubu seems inclined towards divisive tactics to maintain power and favor corrupt individuals around him by inciting flames of unrest across the country. This has resulted in severe crackdowns on protesters, particularly in the North, with over 40 deaths and numerous detentions,” the statement revealed.
The committee called for the immediate release of Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Babatunde Oluajo, and other detained protesters, emphasizing solidarity with all regions of the country in the face of adversity.
“We demand the removal of the Inspector General of Police and the establishment of a public inquiry into the violence and killings during the ongoing protests in various parts of the country,” the committee articulated.
“Even in times of war, parties involved have the right to mourn their losses. We appeal to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to respect our mourning rights while we persist in seeking accountability from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on our unresolved demands,” the statement concluded.
“Lastly, we affirm the right of protesters to continue peaceful engagement in advocating for our collective cause on the streets,” the statement reiterated.
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