By Gbenga Abulude (Politics & General Desk)
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address Nigerians as the #EndSARS protest has descended into an abyss of despair and violence around the country.
The Senate made the demand after Senator Biodun Olujimi presented a motion on the #EndSARS and the need for comprehensive police reforms in the country, which got majority support at the plenary.
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, while commending Olujimi for bringing the motion, said there is the need to urgently end police brutality in the country, urging that the protest should be peaceful.
“We need to be made co-sponsors because these children who are on the streets are our children. I don’t know of anyone in this country who supports the illegal activity of SARS. I stand here as a victim of SARS. Nobody here is a friend of the illegal activities of SARS.
“When our children went in the streets demanding an end to SARS, I think it is a cry we all identify with and we will continue to identity with provided the protest remains peaceful. It must remain peaceful because it is what the Constitution guaranteed to them.
“What we have today right now is that the very good actions of our children is being hijacked. My own children are in the streets of the U.S. participating in this #EndSARS protest.
“I am not sure that my kids are in support of those who have hijacked this protest to go release prisoners. I urge that they should remain lawful. The protest should remain peaceful while they give government the opportunity to address these demands.
“We don’t want any harm to befall our children. We want to appeal to our children and kids to give this government the opportunity to address this issue.”
While lending his support to the motion, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, asked the Senate to include in its resolution, a demand for the President Buhari to look at the issue and address the nation on them.
“And I think that the people will listen knowing that he has now come out directly to deal with the issue. I suggest also that in doing that, he must try a way of setting up a judicial panel that will have people that are well respected by the same youth so that they can address a certain issue and that issue is those notorious SARS officers that have been identified and even identified by the presidential panel.
“I will also forward to you the name of the five most notorious SARS Officers who have been fingered in killing so many Nigerians.”
They Senate resolved to urge the Federal Government to faithfully and comprehensively implement all the five demands of the #EndSARS movement and protesters with necessary timelines to rekindle confidence in government and appealed to #EndSARS movement and protesters to kindly in the interest of everyone stop their actions and embrace genuine dialogue.
The senate urged Buhari to address the nation as soon as possible on this issue while the police should make it a duty to accompany protesters and should be involved in protecting genuine protesters.
