Our Reporter

The Convener of the Let’s Get Empowered initiative, Uche Annie-Okonkwo, has said criminals must not be allowed to hijack the protests against police brutality.

Annie-Okonkwo, in a statement on Monday said: “The youths powered EndSARS protests currently rocking  headlines in Nigeria with concurrent global traction, as the  biggest political statement by the Nigerian youths in  recent history, must not be rubbished by desperate criminal agents of our broken governments, or virtue deprived individuals with no honour.

Read Also: Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Delta, Edo, Abia, Plateau get panels on SARS abuses

“This wicked news  everywhere of high wired designs by federal government and allies to penetrate and defile our youths zeal standing up to this severely maladministered  Nigeria at all levels, should not just be denied conveniently by government, but must be seen to pro-actively prevent it from happening.  Our youths  having conducted themselves with civility never seen before, government should never succumb to cheapen such resolve by arm twisting criminalisation of such a process with present and future utility precedent . As a  government that routinely  ridicules opposing voices as wailers, the strategy to engage the youths  transparently is by far the best than any temptation to muzzle our liberty to protest and privilege to assemble peacefully, because when positive change is denied recklessly, peoples power is released liberally.”