Nigeria’s National Christian Elders’ Forum (NCEF), has said whoever authorised the deployment of troops to face the protesting youths during the #EndSARS protests in Lekki, Lagos, should be court-marshalled for murder.
The Christian leader also recommended a thorough renegotiation of the country following the protracted political crisis, insecurity amid the poor state of the nation’s economy.
This is according to resolutions reached at the end of the forum’s emergency meeting and signed by its secretary, Bosun Emmanuel.
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The forum noted that the #EndSARS protest in the country was mismanaged by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
They also lamented the use of the army against unarmed protesters in the country.
According to the forum, the government should take advantage of the protesters rejecting the operation of the police brutality to introduce State Police.
They further expressed concern at the recent events in the country which commenced with nationwide protests against the excesses of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and climaxed to the death of some of the unarmed protesters, security personnel, and mindless destruction of properties.
It added that all the lives lost are Nigerians and there was no need for any of them to have died.
The forum noted that there should be full National Assembly inquiry into the causes of death and destruction that trailed the peaceful #EndSARS protests, adding that the government must be fully investigated for the role played by security agents in transporting, and supervising vandals and thugs to attack the protesters.
The resolution of the meeting titled, ‘#EndSARS – It is time to renegotiate Nigeria,’ observed that the political imbalance in the country produced nothing but sorrow, poverty, and death for Nigerians.
It said the unjust and sectional political structure left behind by the British colonialists was no longer sustainable, stressing that the time was ripe to re-negotiate the country.