By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
The Labour Party (LP) former presidential aspirant, Okey Samuel Mbonu, has commended the youths for the ongoing #EndSARS protest against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and Police brutality in Nigeria.
He also condemned the Nigerian Army for its plan to commence a nationwide operation “Crocodile Smile VI” from October 20, 2020 and ending December 31, 2020, which would include “Cyberwarfare”.
Mbonu, who spoke from Washington, DC, on Monday October 19, 2020, advised the youth and other Nigerians not to backpedal on their determination to end the brutality of the Nigerian law enforcement agencies, especially the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and its Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and Mobile Police (MOPOL) Units; the Department of State Security (DSS/SSS), and other secret police agencies in Nigeria.
In a statement by his media aide, Charles Adeyinka, the LP chieftain also pointed out that the inclusion of “Cyberwarfare” to the said operation seemed designed to undermine, intimidate and incriminate the youths; whose means of communication, amid their peaceful protest, were mostly Cyber.
He said that the Nigerian Army already had a full hand with terrorists in Northeast Nigeria, who already threatened the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
Mbonu, however, warned that a heavy-handed approach to peaceful protests for change would be contrary to everyone’s constitutionally guaranteed rights to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government, or to address socio-political matters of this nature.
Besides, Mbonu warned that any illegitimate and unruly use of force against youthful or other peaceful protesters in Nigeria, would certainly have international repercussions, even after certain actors leave office.
