Demands removal of IGP, police bosses in Lagos, Oyo
By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) has called on the Nigerian government to end police brutality in the country, while commending Nigerian youths for their resilience and steadfastness in the struggle against the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The Muhammadu Buhari-led government was recently preasurised by the youths to announce the dissolution of the deadly police unit.
But SPN through a statement by its acting National Chairperson, Abiodun Bamigboye; and National Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, advised the youths to see the announcement of the dissolution of SARS as a victory, while appealing to them not to rest on their oars as the dissolution of SARS does not mean an end to police brutality, which it said, “is perpetrated by all units of police and other security agencies including the military.”
The SPN also advised the protesting youths to demand democratic control of the police and all security agencies by community people.
It stated: “We call for a consistent campaign against police brutality. This should be supported not only by young people but also by the working class organizations like Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).”
While welcoming the dissolution of SARS, the SPN rejected the plan to redeploy the operatives of SARS to other police units without first of all fishing out the criminally minded ones through a special panel of enquiry that includes representatives of young people, trade unions and civil society and their prosecution.
The SPN also condemned the attacks and killings of protesters in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country despite the dissolution of SARS.
“We demand justice and compensation for all the victims of police brutality and their families. We also demand the release of all arrested protesters. It shows the viciousness and savagery of the police and, most tellingly, the hollowness of the Federal Government’s pronounced dissolution of SARS that protesters were still killed and injured during peaceful protests against the brutality of SARS,” it stated.
Sympathizing with families of those, who were killed or injured, the SPN advocated for the arrest and prosecution of all police officers that were involved in the shooting dead of Jimoh Isiaka in the protest in Ogbomoso as well as those who killed protesters in Surulere Lagos and other places.
It however warned the government not to sweep the matter under the carpet under the guise of investigating the so-called immediate and remote causes of the violence.
Besides, the party demanded public announcement of the names of the police officers, including commanding officers, responsible for these attacks and killings and their immediate arrest and prosecution.
Also, the SPN called for the removal of the Commissioners of Police in Oyo and Lagos states as well as the immediate sack of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for sanctioning by their acts of omission or commission the attacks and killings of citizens.
SPN condemned the ban of EndSARS protest in Rivers State by Governor Nyesom Wike, stressing, “This ban is undemocratic and we call on protesters to defy this ban and go ahead with their protest peacefully.
“Protest as well as freedom of speech and assembly are inalienable rights that must be respected by the police and bourgeois politicians. This is the least that can be done by the Buhari government in this tensed period to show compassion to protesters who have lost their lives and their grieving families; that is if the regime still has any modicum of compassion left.”
It stated that one of the important lessons the young people must learn from the struggle was a huge potential to force the government to grant some concessions.
It lambasted the government for the reported three-month delay in raising electricity prices. It described it as an example of how wary the government was of popular revolt.
“So, now is the time to act. Therefore we call on young people’s organisations, including NANS and community youth groups, to join or initiate campaigns that fight for adequate funding of education and health care, decent jobs and N30,000 unemployment allowance. Apposite to such a campaign is the need to force the government to meet the legitimate demands of ASUU and other staff unions in order for universities to be reopened,” it stated. It stated that it was instructive that the #EndSARS protest broke out shortly after the betrayal by labour leaders (NLC and TUC) of the struggle against hikes in fuel price and electricity tariff and other anti-poor policies imposed on Nigerians by the Buhari-led government, stressing, “despite the lack of leadership and organizational structure, Nigerian youths have resorted to taking their destiny in their hands after obvious capitulation and lack of leadership from the trade union leadership.
