The Nigerian government came under fire on Wednesday for tagging #EndSARS campaigners as terrorists with prominent citizens and groups condemning the Central Bank of Nigeria’s action, which led to the freezing of the accounts of some of the campaigners.
The government had succeeded in freezing the accounts of 20 #EndSARS campaigners after telling a Federal High Court in Abuja that the funds in their accounts might have been linked to terrorist activities.
This was according to a written address in support of a motion ex parte filed by the CBN, which froze 20 accounts in the second week of October and after that approached the court to seek an ex parte order to freeze the accounts, Punch reports.
In the case with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1384/2020, filed before Justice A. R. Mohammed, the CBN, however, made no mention of the fact that the 20 accounts were owned by persons involved in the #EndSARS protests, but told the court that the funds might have emanated from terrorist activities.
The Nigerian Bar Association said on Wednesday that blocking the accounts of #EndSARS protesters on the pretext that they were terrorism suspects showed that the Federal Government was insincere.
Speaking for the body of lawyers in an interview with The PUNCH, the Publicity Secretary of the association, Dr Raps Nduka, maintained that the #EndSARS protests were lawful and the demands of the campaigners genuine.
He added that the action of the Federal Government through the CBN in blocking the accounts of the promoters of the movement showed that the government was insincere with its promise to address their demands.
Nduka said, “The timing looks very suspicious. The protests are lawful, and the demands of the protesters and the concerns they expressed are genuine.
“What has happened shows that the protesters were right to insist that they were not going to leave the streets because, over time, the government would promise something and do the opposite. This action of the CBN lends credence to the position taken by the youth.
“Even if the government is right, who will believe it at this time? The government makes it look like it is trying to silence people from talking about the ills of society. Why does the government appear to be doing that?
“It tells us that the government may not be doing anything to ensure that the complaints are being addressed. It also tells us that their original claims that they were standing with the youth were pretences. You cannot be standing with them and freeze their accounts. It does not work that way.
“Let us assume that the allegations are true: what happens to discrete investigation? Why should they block the accounts of persons because you are investigating them? Why don’t they be on the trail of the money going into the accounts, assuming the allegations are true?
“The time is very suspicious. It lends credence to the belief of the average Nigerian that the government is not being sincere.”
Reacting to the apex bank’s action, a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, on Wednesday described the Federal Government’s tagging of the promoters of the #EndSARS protests as terrorists as unlawful, unconstitutional and insensitive.
Ozekhome, who said he found it hard to believe that the CBN made such a claim in the application filed to obtain the court order freezing the accounts, noted that the Nigerian Constitution guaranteed the rights to protest.
He said, “Who is saying that peaceful protests on the streets of Nigeria by Nigerians, who are constitutionally entitled under sections 37 and 38 of the Constitution to protest, to assemble, to associate, to move freely, to kick against bad government policies, to demonstrate on the streets peacefully, to sing, to dance and to hold a rally, are terrorism? Who is the person saying that these amount to terrorism? What can this government not do to give a dog a bad name to hang it?
“So, the government does not know that the herdsmen are the real terrorists? The government does not know that Boko Haram members are the real terrorists? The government does not know that the rampaging kidnappers are the real terrorists? The government does not know that the bandits are the real terrorists? The government does not know that those in government stealing the commonwealth belonging to the people are the real terrorists?”
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has flayed Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele for “equating promoters of #ENDSARS with terrorists”, claiming that he “is tormented and terrorised by truth.”
The rights group accused him of “deviating from his core duties and statutory obligations.”
HURIWA insisted: “We have followed the unfortunate trajectory of attacks and well-orchestrated affronts against constitutionalism by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and his extreme availability to be used to witch hunt civil rights campaigners.
“The latest antics of the CBN to freeze accounts of some Nigerian citizens, based on an ex-parte motion before a court, are sad, shocking, unfortunate, unpatriotic and despicable.”
It also urged the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media, Garba Shehu, to refresh himself on constitutionalism and democracy, “so he understands that peaceful protests by citizens against misconduct of members of the policing institution of Nigeria are lawful and constitutional.”
Citing Section 14 (2) (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), HURIWA noted: “The participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this constitution.”
In a statement yesterday in Abuja by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Affairs Director, Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA claimed that the presidential aide was “bereft of deep knowledge of the workings of constitutional democracy which was why he told a television station that citizens who participated in the peaceful marches against police’s excessive deployment of force and deployment of extrajudicial killings of civilians as policing techniques would, in his warped imagination, face the consequences of their action.”
It added: “For the avoidance of doubts, Shehu needs to be told that democracy without peaceful protests is dead, just as the constitution in Chapter 4 permits the citizens to demonstrate constructively against oppressive styles of governance because ultimately the ownership of the sovereignty of Nigeria belongs to the people from where office holders derive the legitimacy to exercise lawful authority in line with the Section 14(2) (a).”
The Federal University Oye-Ekiti, (FUOYE) is one of the 11 universities established by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 to address increasing demand for university education and ensure federal balancing in the states. Since its establishment, the young citadel of learning has been bogged down by the seemingly unending crises occasioned by the activities of the different unions operating on campus.
The unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) have had their different share of activism, which has led to the disruption of peace in the young institution.
However, while the local chapter of ASUU has remained relatively peaceful, the zonal chapter of the union has remained very combative and consistently engaged the management, led by the outgoing vice chancellor, Prof Kayode Soremekun, in war of attrition.
The leadership of the zonal chapter has been up in arms against FUOYE’s management shortly after its establishment. The genesis of the crisis between the management and zonal ASUU, according to a staff of FUOYE, was the indefinite suspension of the erstwhile chairman of the local chapter of the union, Dr Gabriel Akinyemi Omonijo in 2018 for alleged misconduct.
The official disclosed that ASUU local chapter was embroiled in a crisis of confidence, which led to the impeachment of Omonijo, an action that was resisted by the zonal leadership. The zonal leaders threw their weight behind the embattled Omonijo as they faulted his removal by some academics in the institution.
The backing of Omonijo by ASUU led to the factionalisation of the union, as some academic staff, who were angered by the alleged meddlesomeness of the zonal leadership pulled out to join the break-away faction- Congress of University Academics (CONUA).
The zonal ASUU started the efforts to get Omonijo’s suspension lifted through subtle appeal to the management, but the efforts did not yield the desired results, as Omonijo had gone to court to challenge his suspension.
Speaking on the genesis of the crisis, Prof Sola Omotola of the Concerned ASUU (CASUU) group on campus, said the decision by the zonal leaders to take sides with the embattled Omonijo was the genesis of the crisis in the institution.
“For us, impeaching Omonijo was the only way to make progress; that is where we stand. ASUU congress had met in October 2018, and resolved that Omonijo must be removed. The motion was moved and the resolution taken to that effect, but efforts to realise that was sabotaged by Prof Olufisayo Olu, the zonal leader, because he stopped the letter we sent to ASUU’s national executive committee.
“Despite this, we insisted that the congress is supreme and decided to assert its supremacy by proceeding with the impeachment and on that, we stand,” Prof Omotola said.
But in a counter move, Prof Olu, called on the Federal Government to set up a panel of inquiry to probe the alleged illegal recruitments of staff and other corruption-related issues at the institution. Prof Olu accused the outgoing vice chancellor of appointing people into the rank of professors without acquiring Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) certificates, alleging that the beneficiaries of these illegal appointments were allegedly paid outrageous salaries. The ASUU chief described the action as a flagrant violation of the statute establishing Nigerian universities. It also alleged that some academic staff was receiving double salaries, while some were given undue accelerated promotion.
But Prof Soremekun justified his action, saying all appointments; promotion and recruitment done by the management were ratified by the university’s governing council. Rather than peddle what he called “unsubstantiated rumour”, the Vice Chancellor challenged the zonal body to make public, any evidence of fraud or act of favouritism. On the deduction of pension, Prof Soremekun clarified that the university was not responsible for the deduction of pensions, as it is done from source at the office of the Accountant General of the Federation in Abuja.
From 2018 till date, the zonal ASUU has consistently held on to its position that a visitation panel should be set up by the Ministry of Education to visit the institution and investigate the sundry allegations against the institution’s management.
Though Prof Olu has maintained that there was nothing personal in the allegations levelled against FUOYE’s management, some lecturers in the institution who appeared fed up with consistent attacks on the school, threatened litigation against ASUU over alleged meddlesomeness in the affairs of the university.
The lecturers, under the aegis of “Forum of Concerned Academics” (FCA), led by their chairman, Prof Shola Omotola accused the zonal body of prosecuting a personal agenda and vendetta against FUOYE.
“For those who have shown keen interest in the evolution and metamorphosis of this matter, one thing that readily comes across is the way ASUU kept shifting the foundations of its allegations, all the press conferences by the zonal executive, were, to say the least, utterly aimed at destroying, if not ‘kill’ our university,” Prof Omotola said.
But ASUU stood its ground by asking the aggrieved lecturers to support its call for auditing of the university if they have confidence in the outgoing VC and its management.
The festering crisis took yet a different dimension recently, when ASUU accused Prof Soremekun of alleged plot to impose his candidate, Prof Abayomi Fasina, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration as successor, in an attempt to jettison the selection process and allegedly cover up his activities.
No fewer than 70 Professors applied for the position of the vice chancellor, including nine who have held principal positions in the university since its establishment. The list includes, Professors Adebimtan; Adeniji Aganga; Prof. Ajayi Omolehin; and Sunday Abayomi.
Others are professors Olugbenga Amu, Olajide Lawal, Prof. Olajide Oladele and E. Alabadan. Initially, nine candidates were shortlisted for the top job and were eventually pruned to three, among whom the vice chancellor will be picked. The last three are Fasina, Oladele and Lawal. They are all from FUOYE.
But ASUU faulted Fasina’s emergence and accused the outgoing Soremekun of plotting to impose his stooge as successor. Prof Olu accused Fasina of allegedly absconding from Ekiti State University (EKSU) where he was lecturing in 2015, for FUOYE, and collected double salaries running into millions from the two universities for about six months. Therefore, ASUU said Fasina lacks the requisite integrity to be appointed vice chancellor.
He said, “Fasina was on sabbatical at FUOYE between January 2, 2015 to December 31, 2015. He sought for, and got an extension to utilise his deferred accumulated leave still at FUOYE between January 4 and September 22, 2016. He duly returned to EKSU on September 23, 2016 and later absconded in the same month till now.”
He also alleged that in the advertorial calling for application for the position of vice chancellor, Professors from state universities were shut out from applying. “We won’t resort to brigandage, but we will continue to speak against despotism, disorderliness, brutishness and arm-twisting at FUOYE. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently stop the impunity and the attempt to institutionalise it at FUOYE.
The lecturers however faulted the allegation of maladministration by the management, accusing the zonal body of deliberate plot to destabilise the young university. They wondered why ASUU always focuses on FUOYE when there are more troubling issues in other member-institutions.
The duo of Prof Omotola and Ayodeji Ige tasked ASUU to put its house in order, by resolving the crisis that has split the union at the local branch into four factions. “Prof. Olu should know that in FUOYE, we have four factions of ASUU: Congress of Nigerian Academics (CONUA), New Academic Staff Union (NASUF), Concerned Academic Staff Union of Universities (CASUU), and the impeached Omonijo faction.”
The group wondered why the zonal body made accusations against the outgoing vice chancellor and the management, when the process for the appointment of a new helmsman for the institution has not been concluded.
“If not for mischief, over 60 candidates have applied for the position of vice chancellor and the process of selection is ongoing, how then can anyone accuse Soremekun of imposition when nobody has been selected? We challenge Prof Olu to tell the whole world how the vice chancellor of his university emerged, was the process fair and credible? Why was he silent then and failed to raise alarm?”
The man at the centre of the current accusation, Prof. Fasina, in his reaction to the allegation that he was not qualified as a professor, said his appointment followed due process and had the approval of the Federal Character Commission who witnessed the interview.
Fasina stated: “After my sabbatical leave, it was clear I still had some workloads to complete and I had to use my accumulated leave to complete them. Shortly after, l was appointed a Visiting Professor to FUOYE. Later, the vice chancellor found me useful in other important areas, such as administration and security matters on campus, and asked me to apply for permanent appointment. I was interviewed and the representative of federal character commission was present at the interview. The commission also gave a letter of compliance to back up my appointment. This made me to transfer my service from Ekiti State University (EKSU) to FUOYE in September 2017.
Mr Salaudeen Sulaiman said the choice of a vice chancellor in universities has been politicised for a long time. He lamented that in some cases, the most powerful professor, who is not necessarily the most senior or most qualified, gets the plum job.
Sulaiman noted that the politics of the choice of vice chancellor was a reflection of how bad the situation has become in Nigeria, wondering if the situation can ever improve.
A legal practitioner, Femi Olajide, said the process for the selection of a vice chancellor would remain compromised as long as politicians determine who becomes the VC.
He said: “We are in the democratic era, is it wrong for lecturers from the university to vote for a preferred professor to become the vice chancellor? How can somebody in Abuja determine the most suitable for VC in FUOYE? The current process allows manipulation and compromise.” As the controversies continue, a new vice chancellor ought to be named for the troubled institution before end of the month.
Dr Deji Adeleke, billionaire and business magnate has become a music producer alongside his one-year-old grandson, Ifeanyi, on his son, Davido’s forthcoming album.
Ifeanyi might still be a baby but he seems to be following his father’s footsteps as Davido recently released the artwork for his much-anticipated album, A Better Time, which features his toddler.
On the artwork, he acknowledged himself, his father; Dr Deji Adeleke and his son; Ifeanyi Adeleke, as the album’s executive producers.
“OBO Jr makes his debut today,” the pop star announced via Twitter.
The Fem singer who has shifted the date for the release of his album several times apologised to his teeming fans and announced its due date.
He tweeted, “I won’t keep you any longer. This year we’ve been through crazy times. Real crazy times. And through it all, we’ve all had to look inwards to find our unique hopes of better times ahead. I found a few. In human form and creative form. I’m so glad I can finally share them with you. I present to you ‘A Better Time’ out 13/11/20 00:00 WAT!”
Urbana, Illinois, April 17, 2016 - Students are out on the Quad lawn of the University of Illinois college campus in Urbana Champaign
University students in England will be allowed to travel home in early December after a four-week lockdown is eased to spend Christmas with their families, under government plans unveiled Wednesday.
Universities will switch to online tuition by December 9 while students will be encouraged to return home during a “travel window” through the preceding week.
Health officials and university staff will work with transport operators to ensure there are staggered departure times during the seven-day window, according to the guidance.
A second wave of the coronavirus pandemic prompted the government to impose a four-week national shutdown this month, ordering people to stay at home and most businesses to close.
It is due to end in England on December 2.
The government has said it will help universities test as many students as possible before the travel window, with institutions in areas of high coronavirus prevalence prioritised.
Those testing positive must self-isolate for 10 days, but then should still have enough time to travel home under the plans.
“You can never eliminate the risk — we’re amidst a pandemic,” Universities Minister Michelle Donelan told Sky News.
“What we’re doing, is trying to manage that risk, reduce it and give students the confidence to go home.”
England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries said the mass movement of students in the run-up to Christmas “presents a really significant challenge within the COVID-19 response”.
“It is crucial that students follow the guidance in order to protect their families and the communities they return to,” she added in a statement.
Britain has been the worst-hit country in Europe by the pandemic, recording nearly 50,000 deaths from 1.2 million positive cases.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government has responsibility for health policy in England only, with devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland coordinating their own responses.
Suspended Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has been reinstated.
This was contained in a statement from the Ministry of Education’s Director Press and Public Relations, Ben-Bem Goong, on Wednesday.
The statement was titled, ‘Re: Report of special visitation panel to UNILAG’.
It read in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Visitor to the University of Lagos has approved the Report of the Special Visitation Panel to the University of Lagos.
“The highlights of the findings and recommendations approved by Mr. President are as follows – the removal of Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe as the Vice Chancellor did not follow due process.
“The Vice Chancellor was not granted an opportunity to defend himself on the allegations upon which his removal was based. He should accordingly be re-instated.
“All allegations made against the Vice Chancellor and the management of the University before and after the Constitution of the Special Visitation Panel should be referred to regular Visitation Panel for thorough investigation and necessary recommendations.
“The process adopted by the Council in the appointment of Professor Omololu Soyombo as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University was inconsistent with the provisions of the Law relating to the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor.
“The Governing Council should be dissolved.
“Mr. President after careful review of the report has approved all the recommendations of the Panel.
‘Accordingly, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe is hereby reinstated as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos.
“The Governing Council of the University of Lagos Chaired by Dr. B. O. Babalakin is hereby dissolved. Mr. President hopes these steps will bring peace, stability, focus and direction to the University.”
Pastor Tunde Bakare, the General Overseer of the Citadel Global Church, has expressed hope of becoming Nigeria’s President.
Bakare said just as Joe Biden emerged as the United States, US, President-Elect, he would also become president.
The clergyman, who has never hidden his aspiration to become president, disclosed this in an interview with journalists, on Tuesday in Lagos State.
Speaking with a group of journalists in Lagos, Bakare said in clear terms that he will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari come 2023.
According to Bakare: “There is something called destiny. I am not one to hide under the umbrella of one finger and make ambition look like vision, I do not camouflage.
“It is not a matter of life and death, but you can write it down. As the Lord lives, and as I am given the opportunity, the day will come, like Joe Biden, that I will be the President of Nigeria.”
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has called on Nigerian traders who are facing tough times in Ghana not to leave the country.
He urged them to be patient with the Federal Government which he said was engaging with the Ghanaian authorities and other relevant stakeholders with a view to addressing their challenges.
The minister gave the advice on Tuesday in his office in Abuja when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Traders Association in Ghana, an Affiliate of the Nigerian Traders Association, led by its National President, Dr Ken Ukaoha.
Aregbesola assured that regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), would continue to engage the Ghanaian government to resolve the challenges faced by Nigerians in that country.
This was contained in a statement by the interior ministry spokesman, Mohammed Manga titled, ‘Aregbesola advises Nigerian traders not to leave Ghana.’
The minister said the FG “is pained by the condition under which the traders have been made to operate in recent times,” and assured that the government would not abandon them.
“Your pains cannot endure, we will not abandon you; no stone is being left unturned to remove the pains you are passing through in Ghana,” Aregbesola assured.
He stressed that the government was not sleeping on the matter but “doing everything possible to make life better for its citizens in Ghana and other countries of the world.”
Ukaoha expressed what he referred to as the agony, humiliation and torture of Nigerian traders in Ghana, emanating from the Ghanaian government’s decision to raise the capital base of any foreign trader doing business in the country to $1million, and the subsequent locking up of many Nigerian traders’ shops since 2019.
He added that despite various interventions by representatives of the FG, nothing significant had been done by the Ghanaian government to reverse the trend.
“If we react proportionately to the way we have been treated in Ghana, it might lead to a serious crisis,” he noted.
Suspected armed robbers on Monday attacked the divisional police headquarters at Igieben, Edo State, carting away arms and ammunition and injuring two policemen.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the assailants got to the police station around 8pm and threw an object, suspected to be locally-made dynamite, into the station before gaining access.
With the explosion rocking the building, the armed men reportedly headed for the armoury, where the arms and ammunition were stolen.
The attack, it was further gathered, sparked a protest in the locality, as hundreds of youths took to the streets and called on the government to probe the incident.
Early reports indicated that the two injured police officers later died and their bodies deposited in a mortuary.
But the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, said the officers were not dead.
He said, “On November 9, 2020 around 7.30pm, hoodlums suspected to be armed robbers invaded the police station at Igueben. Immediately, police personnel were mobilised to repel them.
“During the gun duel, one of the suspected armed robbers was shot dead. Two policemen were wounded and they were taken to the hospital. One motorcycle, suspected to belong to the robbers, was confiscated by the police. No policeman was killed in the attack.”
The Federal Government was able to freeze the accounts of 20 #EndSARS campaigners after telling a Federal High Court in Abuja that the funds in their accounts might have been linked to terrorist activities.
This is according to a written address in support of a motion ex parte filed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The CBN had in the second week of October frozen 20 accounts and thereafter approached the court to seek an ex parte order to freeze the accounts.
In the case with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1384/2020, filed before Justice A. R. Mohammed, the CBN, however, made no mention of the fact that the 20 accounts were owned by persons involved in the #EndSARS protests, but told the court that the funds might have emanated from terrorist activities.
The written address read in part, “My lord, the nature of the transactions undertaken through the defendants’ accounts are of suspected terrorism financing in contravention of Section 13(1)(a)and(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention)(Amendment) Act, 2013 and Regulation 31(2)(a)and (3)(b) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism Regulations, 2013.”
In a supporting affidavit deposed to by one Aondowase Jacob on behalf of the CBN, it was stated that the Head of the Economic Intelligence Unit of the Governor’s Department, CBN, Joseph Omayuku, had conducted an investigation on the accounts of the defendants and other individuals and entities held with certain banks in Nigeria.
According to the affidavit, the investigation showed that the owners of the accounts may have been involved in terrorist activities.
It added, “There is a grave allegation that the defendants are involved in suspected terrorism financing via their bank accounts in contravention of the provisions of extant laws and regulations. The aforesaid transactions undertaken by the defendants, using their bank accounts, can cause significant economic and security harm to the public and the Federal Republic of Nigeria if left unchecked.
“The applicant (CBN governor) is thus desirous to have the court empower him to direct the freezing of the 20 accounts listed on the annexure to this application and all other bank accounts held by the defendants.
“A freezing order of this honourable court in respect of the defendants’ accounts would also enable the investigation of the activities of the defendants to a logical conclusion with a view to reporting same to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.”
The apex bank said unless the order was granted, it would not be able to ensure that the money remained intact, while investigations were ongoing.
The 20 accounts frozen by the CBN are domiciled in Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Fidelity Bank, United Bank for Africa and Zenith Bank.
The accounts were said to have been flagged after they received money with the narration #EndSARS.
One of the frozen accounts, marked 0056412470 and domiciled in Access Bank, belongs to Bolatito Olorunrinu Oduala, an #EndSARS campaigner, who was appointed into the Lagos State judicial panel set up by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Another frozen account marked 0033974485 and domiciled in Access Bank belongs to Bassey Israel, the medical team coordinator for the #EndSARS protests in Port Harcourt.
Similarly, an account marked 0054676984 domiciled in Access Bank belongs to Gatefield Nigeria Limited, which paid freelance journalists to cover the protests.
Justice Mohammed froze the accounts for 180 days subject to renewal, but said anyone who was not satisfied with the ruling was free to challenge it.
Freezing protesters’ accounts illegal – Yesufu
A leading member of the #EndSARS protesters, Aisha Yesufu, described the freezing of the #EndSARS protesters’ accounts as illegal, noting that the government “is behaving like a terrorist.”
She questioned the freezing of the accounts ahead of the court injunction ordering the banks to block the accounts.
Yesufu stated, “The question is, why did they freeze the accounts before obtaining a court injunction? Why the illegality? Our judiciary should know that it is an independent arm of government and there is separation of power.
“The government should be ashamed of itself. The United Arab Emirates just convicted some Nigerians, who were accused of terrorism, and we are hearing that the government would appeal on their behalf. That is where the problem is.”
The activist accused the Federal Government of pampering insurgents, while bearing down on peaceful and harmless protesters.
She added, “#EndSARS campaigners are protesters and they protested the way the Constitution allows, so all these are shenanigans. They had better focus on the terrorists.
“Bandits are laying down their arms and they are taking them to Government Houses, while Boko Haram members are being given preferential treatment, but Nigerians, who were protesting, were being killed by the government. The government is the one behaving like a terrorist right now.”
