Group calls for immediate release of those arrested during protest, resignation of Inspector General of Police

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By Alphonsus Nweze, Onitsha

The South East Coalition of Human Rights has condemned the Nigerian security forces for clamping down on #Endbadgovernance and hunger protest in Nigeria.

In a statement signed by the chairman of the Coalition, Dede Uzor A Uzor, the group faulted the interpretation of holding Russian flag as a call for coup asking “when did holding a mere Russian flag turned out as a call for a regime change?”

They argued: “Some prominent Nigerians display both Nigerian and foreign flags even in their cars, schools and houses. We want to know when a mere display of flags has become a call for a regime change in Nigeria?”

“In as much as we condemn some protesters who destroyed government property,we also call for an immediate removal of Inspector General of Police for excessive use of force on the protesters by killing defenceless civilians. If it were in decent society, the IGP himself would have honorably resigned and tender an unreserved public apology” the group continued.

The Coalition called on the Federal Government to immediately set up a special committee of enquiry to unravel the brutal killings of unarmed and defenceless civilians in different parts of the country during this protest.

They asked FG to also address the immediate and remote cause of the protest without further delay, lamenting that Nigerians have suffered enough in the hands of heartless leaders.

The group lamented that for 20 years the FG was unable to fix our refineries and had continued to import fuel to the detriment of Nigerians.

They unreservedly condemned the persecution of Aliko Dangote for investing in refineries in his own country by the cabals of this Government.

“FG should protect the company because the cabals are afraid of losing the opportunity to make billions of naira from fuel importation into the country.

The Coalition called on FG to tell Nigerians how much it has saved on subsidy money because during the former President Sani Abacha regime he set up Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) which used money realised from subsidy to drastically address infrastructural deficit in the country which made serious economic impact in the lives of Nigerias.

Unfortunately, they said, nobody has been told or seen any economic gains made from President Bola Tinubu’s subsidy removal.

“We call for unconditional and immediate release of those arrested in connection with the so called degrading Russian flags protest”, said the South East Coalition.