The Human Right lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana,called on Tinubu to address the demands of the protesters.
In a statement issued yesterday, he said: “If the government takes the fight against corruption to oil dealers and crude oil is processed in government-owned refineries, there will be no basis for fuel subsidy, which is induced by the importation of petroleum products.
“A positive response to the key demands of the youths could make them review their actions. Insensitivity to their demands can only provoke continued action,” he said. Falana also applauded the protesters for forcing politicians to listen, who he said “are eating in Abuja to the plight of millions of Nigerians who are hungry.”
He also called for the “immediate and unconditional release of all protesters that were arrested and detained,” saying they had not committed any criminal offence.
Falana also condemned the repression of the peaceful protesters. “We commiserate with the families of the patriots’ peaceful protesters that were killed and call on the federal and state governments to set up commissions of inquiry, which should include representatives of credible human rights organisations and the NBA to investigate the killings with a view to bringing to justice the reckless murderers in police uniform and ensuring that.
“The family members of the deceased should be adequately compensated by the federal government. The victims of the barbarous police killings should be identified and celebrated as heroes and heroines of the struggle for the emancipation of the downtrodden Nigerian people. Participation in peaceful protests should never be criminalised in Nigeria,” he said.
