Prominent Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has flawed the speech given by President Muhammadu Buhari following the #EndSARS protests and military shootings in Nigeria.
According to the Senior Advocate, the speech contained avoidable gaps which include where Buhari alleged that the international community jumped into hasty conclusions in respect of the shooting of unarmed peaceful protesters by armed soldiers at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos State recently.
Falana revealed that Buhari’s act of sympathizing with families of police members that were killed during the protests was okay but he should also have followed it up with condoling with families of victims of police brutality.
While speaking to Punch, he said: “The presidential speech contained some avoidable lacunae. For instance, the President accused the international community of jumping into hasty conclusions with respect to the Lekki shootings.
“My worry is that the President would be embarrassed at the end of legal inquiry into the military invasion of the Lekki toll gate as the number of the unarmed protesters that were mowed down and the circumstances of the barbaric attack by the soldiers from a particular military barrack in Victoria Island would be exposed.
“It was good that the President consoled the families of the police personnel who unfortunately lost their lives in the course of duty. Similar presidential condolences ought to have been extended to the families of the unarmed protesters who were brutally murdered in Ogbomoso, Ibadan, Benin, Lagos etc. I want to believe that the President was not informed that unarmed protesters were slain in the premeditated attacks by police and military personnel.
“However, the President reiterated the point that the voice of the protesters had been heard loud and clear and that the Federal Government is committed to addressing the outstanding demands. Specifically, the President announced that the emoluments of police officers would be reviewed upwards. That is a concession of one of the key demands of the protesters.”
