Ex-EFCC Senior Prosecutor Calls For Sanctions Against Security Officers Who Shot Unarmed Protesters

Mr Jonson Ojogbane, the Managing Partner of Signature Law Firm and a former senior prosecutor with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called for the prosecution of law enforcement officers who shot unarmed and defenceless Nigerians during the protest.
Speaking at the formal opening of Signature Law Firm in Abuja recently, Ojogbane stated that the protest was “as a result of the impact the economy is having on Nigerians” and that “no one is exempt.”
“It is unfortunate that people died in this protest. The police officers who recklessly fired on protesters should be held accountable. I understand the IG has a team that monitors the police’s work, and if anyone died as a result of this protest, it should be thoroughly investigated.
“If gun-toting officers are found wanting, they will face the consequences of the law. There is no justification for shooting peaceful protestors.
“There is a system in place to investigate who shot what, at whom, and under what circumstances. Once that is completed, the offending officer will receive appropriate punishment.
“I hope our system evolves because I witnessed violent protests in London and nobody was shot. They used rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas to disperse the rioters.
“I hope that Nigeria will one day reach a point where our officers understand that our people’s lives are valuable.
“If you are a police officer carrying a gun, it is for Nigerians’ safety, not destruction. Officers should use as little force as possible.
“Even when your life is in danger, you must first respond to a comparable threat. No law prohibits an officer from responding when his life is in danger.
“When you shoot someone, it is the end of his life.
“No doubt, the government is doing its best, but Nigerians are in excruciating pain.
“In the course of the protest, something went wrong. Some criminals hijacked the protest. Some of the pictures we saw did not depict protests. That constituted anarchy. Looting and destroying stores.
“I hope our leaders assemble enough teams around them to be passionate about Nigeria’s progress. A team that understands what they need to do to help Nigeria progress.
“While at EFCC, I travelled around the world and witnessed how countries with low economies and development grew because someone arose in their midst.
“Let us work for our country.” “I believe that one day we will find a system that works for our country,” he stated.
On Saturday, police used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse a group of young people protesting in Abuja’s Galadimawa area.
The #EndbadGovernance protesters showed up at 6:30 a.m. They were marching from Ebano Supermarket to Galadimawa junction when police arrived three hours later and dispersed them with tear gas and live ammunition.
The attack forced the protesters to flee for their lives, but no one was killed.
“We started at 6:30 a.m. and ended at 9 p.m. before they scattered us. We began at the Ebano supermarket junction and continued to the Galadimawa roundabout. Before we could reach the Galadimawa roundabout, police arrived with their usual force and chased us away.
“They did not shoot live bullets at us, but tear gas was fired directly at us. But since they started shooting guns, no one knows if they will start killing us if we do not flee.
“We are not scared of tear gas or arrest, sir. They could not scatter us if they did not use live bullets. We want to live and see the country for which we fight. We could not face bullets, so we ran.
But today does not mark the end of the protest. We will continue to protest until our demands are met. The most important is to reverse the removal of fuel subsidies, which is the primary reason we are where we are today,” one of the protesters told journalists.
The 10-day #EndbadGovernance protest against hunger and hardship began nationwide on August 1 and is set to end today, as planned.
Last Sunday, President Bola Tinubu addressed the nation about his policies and demanded an end to the protests. However, some Nigerians who were not satisfied with the speech continued to protest.