Tajudeen Yusuf, a member of the House of Representatives, has asked Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to issue what he termed a “national apology” over his comment on the Lekki Toll Gate shooting.
Yusuf, who represents Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi State, made the demand in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Malami had while reacting to the 20 October incident at Lekki reportedly said hoodlums rather than soldiers were possibly involved in the shooting of the #EndSARS protesters.
“You cannot rule out the possibility of perhaps hoodlums that set in to create a scene…could equally partake in the process,” Malami was quoted as saying.
In his reaction, Yusuf said the AGF’s alleged statement deserves to be followed with a national apology.
The lawmaker also condemned the freezing of bank accounts of the #EndSARS protesters, saying that the Federal Government is contradicting itself by asking for calm and dialogue on one hand and then taking punitive measures against citizens in another dimension.
He said the Federal Government should reverse its “missteps” of freezing bank accounts and seizing passports of Nigerian youths considered to have actively taken part in the nationwide protest against police brutality.
The statement partly read: “It is thoroughly confounding that in spite of the Federal Government’s promise to look into the demands of the protesters, government went to great lengths with actions and words that aroused real doubts over its sincerity. The Federal Government asked them to calm down and they did so, only for the Federal Government to embark upon series of arrests, passport seizure and freezing of bank accounts of the #EndSARS protesters.
“While right-thinking citizens feel concerned about the real possibilities of driving the democratic expression of dissenting opinions into the threatening catacombs of underground activities, the Federal Government must advice itself against further deliberate missteps. It is absolutely pathetic that a government that promised progressive ideals has consistently shown a tendency to find comfort in dictatorial fiat and jackboot oppression of its people.”
While noting that the Federal Government’s Presidential Panel on Police Reforms acceded to the five demands made by the protesters, Yusuf stressed the need for the government to foster a sense of belonging and social justice rather than “decisions that further portray Nigeria in (a) negative light internationally”.
