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Okwe Obi, Abuja
Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development (CNEEPD), has said that the #EndSARS protest would get messier if security personnel continue to attack agitators.
Aside urging the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to call his officers to order, it said hoodlums who are taking advantage of the civil unrest to steal and cause mayhem should be apprehended.
In a communique signed by its North-East, North-West, and North-Central representatives, Zana Goni, Dr Mohammed Suleman, and Prof. Ofa Afolabi, after a closed-door meeting, on Saturday, they posited that the agitation was caused by hunger, insecurity and joblessness, plaguing the country.
While passing a vote of confidence on President Mohammadu Buhari, for his “sterling leadership style,” they solicited an independent investigation into the expenditure of funds by the Armed Force from December 2015 till date.
Goni said “CNEEPD unanimously resolved that the forum passed a vote of confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari and the 19 Northern governors;
“That we note with deep concern the momentum at which the end SARS and insecurity protest is gathering by the day across the nation and wish to state categorically that it is due to frustration occasioned by the president’s deliberately refusal to restructure the security apparatus of the nation despite daily calls by Nigerians including the National Assembly to do so;
“That insecurity has links with all the problems Nigerians are facing today.
“That we strongly condemn the killings, harassments, and attacks of protesting Nigerians by some overzealous members of Nigeria police and some sponsored thugs In Abuja, Kano, Plateau and Bauchi states;
“That we call on the inspector General of police to urgently arrest the erring police officers and hoodlums responsible for the attacks;
“That we support in totality the continuous peaceful protests by Nigerians across the country over police brutality and call on the protesters to remain focused and peaceful;
“That we condemn the persistent insecurity in Nigeria particularly in the North, despite the huge investment so far running into trillions of Naira to Armed Forces of Nigeria;
“That we call for an independent forensic investigation into the expenditure of the Armed Force from December 2015 till date;
“That we are deeply worried over the plight of IDPs and the communities in the North East and call on government and international donors to as a matter of urgency, do more in addressing the medical, food and sanitation needs of the people affected by insecurity in the region;
” That we call on Mr President to immediately sack the current service chiefs and restructure the entire security architecture of Nigeria;
“That we further call on Mr President to take immediate advantage of the ongoing protests and restructure the country’s security architecture.”
