Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana SAN, says the violence that ruined the #EndSARS protest of October 2020 was instigated by the government.
Falana, whilst speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, said the government “unleashed” hoodlums on the peaceful protesters.
A planned nationwide demonstration slated to hold between August 1 to 15 has been making the headlines.
The protest tagged ‘#EndBadGovernance’, has incited memories of the nationwide anti-police brutality protests of 2020 which brought about fatalities, arson, and setting of mass transit buses ablaze.
President Bola Tinubu has implored the Nigerian youths to suspend the protest.
In his reaction to the development, Falana said the federal government is worried that the proposed protest may be hijacked by hoodlums, which will culminate into violence.
The senior lawyer stated that his experience with protests in Nigeria indicates that it is government that introduces the violence.
Giving the EndSARS as an example, the human rights attorney said it was the government that sponsored thugs and sent soldiers to disperse the protesters.
“I have followed the debates, concerns and worries of the government. The government has not denied the rights of Nigerians to protest because it is a constitutional right,” Falana said.
“What I think the government is worried about is the possibility that violence might occur.
“From my experience with protests, young people and workers have never gone out determined to engage in violence.
“Now, people are now distorting our history by saying ‘in 2020, young people were violent’. No!
“The attack on the youths started in Alausa when a notorious transporter sent thugs to attack unarmed protesters. The same thing happened in Abuja, Benin, and Port Harcourt.
“The government decided to unleash hoodlums and thugs on the young people. When that did not work, the government sent troops and soldiers to engage in the killing of young people.
“In one week, about 99 people were killed in Lagos. I don’t want to talk about Ogbomoso, Port Harcourt, Benin and other places where young people were shot at and killed.
“The violence that characterised the end of EndSARS protest was instigated, fuelled, and sponsored by the government. This time around I think the government is beginning to learn from the past.”
Falana then charged the federal government to engage with the leaders of the proposed protest and meet their demands.