…Says Crime Against Humanity Going On In Nigeria
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charges President Muhammadu Buhari
to, without further delay, set up an independent national truth
commission on the reported killing of peaceful protesters by security
agencies as well as alleged recruiting of hoodlums by agents of
government to disrupt the patriotic demonstration by Nigerian youths
against police brutality in our country.
The party said it finds it very strange that the Buhari Presidency had
remained evasive and chose to push the responsibility of enquiry to the
states, despite widespread allegations of involvement of federal
government interests in the crime against humanity going on in Nigeria.
PDP’s call for a national truth commission is predicated on the failure
of the Buhari administration to come clean on the involvement of the
military in the Lekki shooting as well as the recruiting of hoodlums to
attack peaceful protesters in Abuja and other parts of the country.
Nigerians remain alarmed by the contradicting claims by government on
the Lekki killing. It is recalled that in its first reaction, the
military denied deploying troops to Lekki Toll Gate.
This denial was followed by a strange claim by the Attorney General and
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who pointed accusing fingers to
faceless hoodlums in military uniform as being responsible for the Lekki
killing, only for the military to later inform the Lagos enquiry panel
that the military was invited to the Lekki Toll gate by Governor
Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
In the same vein, Nigerians are disturbed by the contradicting claims by
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who earlier asserted that there was no causality at
Lekki Toll Gate, only for him to admit afterwards that one person died
and later changed his figure to two.
Besides, the Federal Government has failed to make any clarifications on
the viral video showing armed hoodlum being brought in vehicles
belonging to security agencies and openly coordinated to unleash
violence on unarmed and peaceful protesters in Abuja and other parts of
the country.
The global community has been in distress over graphic videos of the
night shooting at Lekki Toll Gate as well as the gory pictures of
Nigerians killed while waving our nation’s flag and singing the national
anthem in protest against police brutality and myriads of injustices
under the Buhari administration.
Nigerians are yet to be told who ordered the deployment of soldiers to
Lekki Toll Gate and how police vehicles where used to bring in armed
thugs to attack and kill protesters in Abuja.
In all of these, the Buhari administration had been paying lip service
without addressing the core issues of killing of civil and peaceful
protesters in our country.
Instead, the Federal Government is desperately plotting to gag
Nigerians, stifle the press and shut down the social media among other
desperate measures, including threatening CNN for carrying out an
investigative report on the killings of protesters.
The attack on the media, hounding and persecuting of protesters as well
as alleged harassment of Nigerians who are willing to testify at the
enquiry panels in some states, raise apprehensions of desperation for
cover up.
The PDP, standing with millions of Nigerians, particularly the voiceless
victims of these injustices, therefore insists that President Buhari
must immediately establish an independent national truth commission, on
the manifest crime against humanity going on in our country today.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
