Arising from a closed-door organisers’ meeting yesterday, organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protest have declared three days of mourning in Lagos State to honour fallen colleagues across the country, who were killed by security agents during the ongoing protest.
  
In a statement jointly signed by Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Ayoyinka Oni and Oloye Adegboyega Adeniji, on behalf of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organising Committee, the activists said the three days of mourning would commence on Wednesday, August 7, with an X Space and end on Friday, with a public symposium and candlelight procession. 
 
“Our decision to take this course of action is motivated by two things: first, the Lagos State government and the Commissioner of Police have made it clear over the past five days that despite assurances to the contrary, they are not in any way prepared to guarantee the right of peaceful protesters to assemble freely without molestation.
 
“This explains why, at any slight opportunity, the police at Ojota, as well as at Alausa, have surreptitiously allowed state-sponsored thugs to attack our members and injure them. This happened yet again on Monday, 5 August 2024, as the protest closed officially when a band of thugs armed with various weapons descended on peaceful protesters under the watchful eyes of the police.
 
“The second reason we have taken this course of action is that we have seen quite clearly that President Tinubu is on a mission to divide this country and set it aflame just so that he can continue to keep himself and the corrupt privileged clique around him in power. This explains the heavy-handed and disproportionate killings of protesters in the North and other parts of the country. At least over 40 protesters, mostly our Northern brothers and sisters, have been killed while hundreds have been arrested and detained throughout the past few days. We hereby demand the immediate and unconditional release of the National Coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Babatunde Oluajo, and the hundreds of protesters arrested across the country.
 
“We stand opposed to the senseless killings of our brothers and sisters for daring to protest hunger and hardship. These three days of mourning are to demonstrate that we shall continue to stand with our siblings from all parts of the country in this dark hour, and together with them, we shall fight for justice for those who have been killed and for an end to all forms of bad governance in this country.”

MEANWHILE, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has warned service chiefs and military commanders against authorising the use of lethal force against #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters.

In a post via his official X handle on Tuesday, Atiku said the security heads would be held liable for the shooting of peaceful civilian protesters by soldiers and other security operatives.

He wrote: “I wish to convey a stern caution to the distinguished service chiefs and military commanders of Nigeria’s armed forces that those who authorise the use of lethal force against peaceful civilian protesters will be held responsible for committing crimes against humanity, even in the years following their retirement from service.”

The former Vice President called on the security agencies to ensure a safe and protected environment for the protesters, adding that it is their constitutional right to protest.

He added: “The constitutional right to engage in protest is firmly established within our supreme law and reinforced by the judiciary. It is the solemn duty of the government and security agencies to ensure a safe and protected environment for individuals exercising their right to peaceful protest.”