By Oluwakemi Ishola
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Engr. Joseph Tegbe has said he was extremely impressed and inspired with the determination shown by young Nigerians to, once and for all, put a stop to Police brutality and reject the operations of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, an arm of the Police that has repeatedly acted outside its purview and killed many of your young minds, extorting, maiming and harassing many more.
The APC governorship aspirant, in a press statement he personally signed and made available to journalists in Ibadan, said he always believed that young people hold the key to the reform and development of the Nigerian society. “All they need do is engage, organize and act” he said.
The statement read in part:
“Commendably, we saw movement of the people who have had enough; citizens who don’t want to live in constant fear of being shot or maimed, people who demand protection rather than harrassment from law enforcement agencies, people who just wanted to stay alive, above every other thing”.
“No longer will it be said that Nigerians don’t have a voice. The Nigerian Youth have spoken and taken it beyond the media. It was loud enough for the world to hear, and precise enough to make a change!”.
“Brutality by SARS and other agencies are totally UNACCEPTABLE in a civilized society governed by laws. It should be condemned by all. It was therefore saddening to hear of the deaths, manhandling and harrasment of peaceful protesters and bystanders in Ogbomoso – Oyo State, Surulere – Lagos and other places. I offer my condolences to the families of the victims. These happenings have indeed underlined the urgent need to make sweeping changes”.
“It is noteworthy that the President has sanctioned the dissolution of Special Anti-Robbery Squad and committed to a total reform of the Police and other agencies. Civil Society groups have been engaged to monitor the process. While this is commendable, I must state that eternal freedom is the price of liberty. Never again should we condone our forces going rogue!”.
Tegbe further said the reform in Nigeria police must be holistic, decisive and conclusive!
He concluded by giving kudos to the new breed for creating a safer space for all Nigerians, and for the coming generation. He said posterity would remember the peaceful agitations for good.
