#EndBadGovernance protest: Lagos protesters declare three-day mourning

The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organising Committee at Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, Lagos State, has announced three days of mourning in memory of those killed across the country during the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests.

Following a meeting of the organizing committee behind closed doors on Tuesday, the committee released a statement that was jointly signed by Hassan Soweto, Ayoyinka Oni, and Oloye Adeniji. The statement announced the three days of mourning that would begin on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, with an X Space, and conclude on Friday, August 9, 2024, with a candlelight procession and public symposium.

In order to demonstrate solidarity to the  fallen heroes, the committee asked all Nigerians and young people who support the fight against hunger and hardship to do everything within their personal power to observe these three days of mourning. This could include dressing in black when they go out and posting movement graphics on their social media profiles.

According to the organizers  the decision to take this course of action is motivated by the fact that the Lagos State Government and the Commissioner of Police have made it clear over the course of the past five days that despite assurances to the contrary, they are not in any way prepared to guarantee the right of peaceful protesters to assemble freely without molestation.

The statement read “This explains why, at any slight opportunity, the police at Ojota, as well as at Alausa, have surreptitiously allowed state-sponsored thugs to attack our members and injure them. This happened yet again on Monday, 5 August 2024, as the protest closed officially when a band of thugs armed with various weapons descended on peaceful protesters under the watchful eyes of the police.

“The same thing happened earlier in the day at Alausa, Ikeja. In both incidents, not only did the police not stop the thugs, but police officers also actually participated actively in dispossessing our attacked members of their mobile phones and valuables.”

According to the organising committee, this was only the latest in a permanent cycle of low-scale yet scary violent attacks against protesters once a little chance presents itself.

“In fact, given how persistent the attacks have been, we have no choice but to believe that the police and the thugs are working together to muzzle our voices. This has made Ojota unsafe for peaceful protesters hence our decision to re-strategise and consider other forms of engagement to keep our struggle alive until day 10.

“We hereby condemn these unprovoked attacks on peaceful protesters and law-abiding Nigerians. We demand a public apology from the police as well as the return of all mobile phones and other valuables stolen from our people by the same police meant to protect them.

“The second reason we have taken this course of action is that we have seen quite clearly that President Tinubu is on a mission to divide this country and set it aflame just so that he can continue to keep himself and the corrupt privileged clique around him in power.

“This explains the heavy-handed and disproportionate killings of protesters in the North and other parts of the country. At least over 40 protesters, mostly our Northern brothers and sisters, have been killed while hundreds have been arrested and detained over the course of the past few days,” the statement added.

It stated that the organising committee is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the National Coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Babatunde Oluajo and other protesters arrested across the country.

“We stand opposed to the senseless killings of our brothers and sisters for daring to protest hunger and hardship. These three days of mourning are to demonstrate that we shall continue to stand with our siblings from all parts of the country in this dark hour, and together with them, we shall fight for justice for those who have been killed and for an end to all forms of bad governance in this country.

“To this extent, we demand the immediate sack of the Inspector General of Police and the setting up of a democratically constituted public probe into the killings, wanton destruction and violence in various parts of the country during the course of the protest.

“Even in war, warring parties have a right to mourn and bury their dead. We, therefore, ask the Commissioner of Police in Lagos state to respect our rights as citizens to mourn our dead even as we continue to demand answers from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over our various demands, which remain unmet today.

“Finally, we hold that any group of protesters have the right to continue to engage peacefully on the street to drive home the demands of our collective struggle,” the statement added.