Group cautions government against infiltrating protest with criminals

A youth group, Let’s Get Empowered Initiative, has  warned the government and its allies against alleged attempts to infiltrate the #EndSARS protests with “desperate criminal agents.”

The #EndSARS protest is the biggest political statement by the Nigerian youths in  recent history, and warned that rather than try to rubbish it, the government should engage the protesters transparently, Executive Director of the group, Collins Steve Ugwu, quoted Mr. Uche Annie-Okonkwo, youth empowerment mentor and convener of the group, as as saying in a statement, yesterday.

“This wicked news  everywhere of high wired designs by federal government and allies to penetrate and defile our youths zeal standing up to this severely maladministered  Nigeria at all levels, should not just be denied conveniently by government, but must be seen to pro actively prevent it from happening. Our youths  having conducted themselves with civility never seen before, government should never succumb to cheapen such resolve by arm twisting criminalisation of such a process with present and future utility precedent.

“As a  government that routinely  ridicules opposing voices as wailers, the strategy to engage the youths  transparently is by far the best than any temptation to muzzle our liberty to protest and privilege to assemble peacefully, because when positive change is denied recklessly, peoples power is released liberally.”