Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has urged President Bola Tinubu to address the demands of the peaceful protesters.
In a statement released on Sunday, Falana criticized the President’s speech delivered earlier in the day, stating that it fails to address the protesters’ main demand: the reversal of the fuel subsidy removal policy.
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“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 protesters could make them review their actions. Insensitivity to their demands can only provoke continued action,” he said.
While congratulating the protesters for bringing the plight of millions of hungry Nigerians to the attention of politicians in Abuja, Femi Falana demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested and detained protesters, emphasizing that they had committed no criminal offense.
Falana also condemned the repression of the peaceful demonstrations and expressed condolences to those who lost loved ones during the protests.
He called on the government to establish commissions of inquiry to hold accountable those responsible for the reckless killings.
“We commiserate with the families of the patriots’ peaceful protesters that were killed and call on the Federal and State Governments to set up Commissions of Inquiry, which should include representatives of credible human rights organisations and the NBA to investigate the killings with a view to bringing to justice prosecute the reckless murderers in Police uniform and ensuring that.
“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.”
