#EndBadGovernance: Organisers To Sue FG Over Protesters’ Killings – Sowore

The two-term Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, on Sunday announced that the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests have revealed plan to take legal action against the Federal Government over the killings of protesters during the 10 days protests.

It would be recalled that the protests which took place in cities like Lagos, Kano, Gombe, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Niger, Kebbi, and Abuja at some point turned violent and looting took place in some LGAs in the North as some hoist foreign flags as they called on military to take over the country.

Speaking after the end of the nationwide protests against severe hunger and economic hardship faced by Nigerians which started on August 1, Sowore said the government was the first to escalate the protests into violence.

Speaking with The Punch, Sowore, one of the organisers of the protests expressed deep sorrow for those who lost their lives or were injured while exercising their constitutional right to protest peacefully.

When asked about the number of protesters killed and arrested during the demonstrations, Sowore replied, “So far, we know of 17 persons murdered in cold blood by the Nigeria Police Force.

“We know of a police officer who was killed by a fellow policeman who rammed a water cannons armoured carrier into his van in Katsina State and an immigration officer who shot himself accidentally in Borno State.”

He emphasized that the government was the first to bring violence to the demonstrations, using water cannons on peaceful protesters in Kano and firing bullets at protesters who were armed only with placards.

“We will seek legal redress for the government’s actions on behalf of these unjustly attacked and detained compatriots, and we will never forget.

“One day, everyone who has committed these egregious crimes against the Nigerian people will be made to face the consequences of their crimes and the appropriate legal consequences for their actions,” Sowore declared.

Addressing the issue of looting and vandalism that occurred during the protests, Sowore noted that the organisers had called for a non-violent protest and urged participants to avoid violence.

However, he argued that the government’s heavy-handed response initiated the violence, with security agencies using water cannons, tear gas, and live bullets against unarmed protester