#ENDSARS: A reckoning for Black Tuesday must come.
I’ve watched the events of the past few days in horror. The lack of leadership and accountability has been breathtaking. Media people from the Nigerian Army and the Presidency have all come on national television and social media to deny culpability in the crimes we’ve seen committed against the people of Nigeria.
My feeling is that regardless of the denials it will take a miracle for the ruling classes to wash themselves clean of the stench of these heinous crimes. Their actions or inactions have brought us to where we are at this very moment. Every decision that has been taken whether by the ruling party or by those in opposition have led us to the point where an elected President of the proud Federal Republic of Nigeria can go on national television and address the people without acknowledging the grievous harm that was done to our citizens and our democracy on Black Tuesday.
Given the absence of any protective police presence for the #ENDSARS protesters it is hard to dispute that at the very least criminal neglect has occurred here. The first duty of every government is to protect lives. Who was protecting the protesters on 20.10.2020? It doesn’t help that instead of trying to establish the exact number of the dead and injured in Black Tuesday’s ill-judged attacks they have sought to minimize and gaslight the people.
In saner climes national days of mourning would have been declared. The senseless killings of 20.10.2020 is one which we as a people must never forget. That night was a watershed moment in our history as a nation and one which we must all see as a turning point in our story as a republic. The bravery of the young protesters has not just inspired me but the reckless disregard for human life, the rule of law and the disrespect for our democratic rights as a people needs a response and has galvanised me.
As a people we’ve tried the route of quiet representation, peaceful protest and reasonable dialogue but they have all fallen on deaf ears. We must resort to legal action. They might have silenced and made a mockery of Nigerian courts but it will take some doing to resist the rectitude of the International Criminal Courts. War crimes may have been committed here and we the people need to bring this government to reckoning in front of a body before which they can answer to their actions. We must not relent. We must not delay. We must not forget our disappeared and extra-judicially killed brethren.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria✊🏾!
Image Credit: Wikimedia.org
