A foremost human rights lawyer, Femi Falana says the Federal Government should have no difficulties meeting the demands of EndSARS protesters since it negotiates with terrorists and kidnappers.
He said a genuine commitment to dialogue and meeting the demands of the protesters would bring an end to ongoing protests across the nation.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) stated this in an interview with a Lagos-based television station on Wednesday evening.
Falana also urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to order policemen to protect protesters from attack by hoodlums.
For nearly two weeks, Nigerian youths have taken to the streets to demand an end to police brutality.
Although their first demand, which is the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has been met, the protesters have continued in their struggle, calling for deeper reforms.
Reacting, Falana revealed that the youths have refused to leave the streets because they were afraid that promised reforms would be stopped if they did.
He said, “I would like to call on the government to stop allowing armed thugs or hoodlums to attack protesters who have conducted themselves peacefully, maturely and patriotically.
“If everybody had recognised that these young men and women played positive roles in drawing the attention of government and the authorities to the crisis in the Nigeria Police Force, they should not be attacked. In fact, the law says protesters shall be protected by the police.
“The Police must protect protesters.
“The President has a duty today to reconstitute the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission.
“The Accountant-General of the Federation has a duty tomorrow to open an account that will warehouse the money that has been earmarked under the Police Trust Fund to fund the police.
“My advice to the President is to get all the agencies of government to carry out their statutory duties.
“The government must engage in dialogue with the leaders of the protesting group. After all, the government is negotiating with terrorists and kidnappers. So, why don’t you negotiate with patriots like the young men and women that are protesting all over the country?
“There has to be a full-fledged Inquiry that will support a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to sit in the open like the Oputa Panel and investigate the atrocities of all the extrajudicial killings by SARS agents.
“If the government can put all these in place and these can be done in three days, the young men and women can now be persuaded to leave the streets.
“I have been speaking with some of them and they have been saying if they leave the streets, nothing will happen. So, let the government roll out the resolves and actualise its promises.”
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