Babalola.
Legal icon and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afe
Babalola, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address
Nigerians.
He made the call on Wednesday in reaction to the recent
happenings across the country following the recent #EndSARS
protests.
“Protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, otherwise
known as SARS or FSARS, have spread to all parts of Nigeria and
beyond.
“The deployment of soldiers to the streets is not the answer.
The imposition of curfews is certainly not the answer,” Babalola
said in a statement.
He added, “I remember that as soon as the protests began, I had
issued a press release in a similar vein on the issue appealing to
the President to please address the issue at that time.
“I now again plead with him to address the root causes of the
pain which the youths are complaining about.”
Youths in various parts of the country have embarked on peaceful
protests in the last two weeks to demand an end to police
brutality.
While the demonstrations have enjoyed the support of many
political, traditional, and religious leaders, some of the protests
were hijacked by thugs.
However, it was a black Tuesday on October 20, 2020, when
soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters in the Lekki toll gate
axis of Lagos State.
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This led to the death of some protesters while at least 28
others were injured, triggering condemnation from well-meaning
Nigerians and members of the international community.
“The use of live bullets and other lethal weapons against
protesting youths is not the answer. The killing of protesting
youths is also not the answer.
“A protest both in fact and in law is analogous to a message
which an injured toe sends to the brain complaining about
unbearable pain,” said Babalola in his reaction to the shooting of
the protesters.
He added, “The response by the brain and the head is normally to
take steps to treat the pain to the toe.
“Any injured person who refuses to take steps to treat pains to
any part of the body does so at his own peril.”
The legal icon described the President as the head of the
nation, stressing that the youths were parts of the body – the
nation.
He, therefore, urged President Buhari as the head to address the
youths and offer remedial steps to be taken to alleviate their
pains.