Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti
The founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to halt the crackdown on protesters, which has lead to the death of innocent Nigerians.
Babalola who condemned the onslaught against the protesters, said all the steps being taken at present were not the solution, urging Buhari to address youths protesting for an end to police brutality.
The legal luminary made the plea in a statement in Ado Ekiti, entitled, ‘Call on President Buhari to address pains of the nation’.
He said, “The deployment of soldiers to the streets is not the answer. The imposition of curfews is certainly not the answer. The use of live bullets and other lethal weapons against protesting youths is not the answer. The killing of protesting youths is also not the answer.
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“A protest both in fact and in law is analogous to a message which an injured toe sends to the brain complaining about unbearable pain. The response by the brain and the head is normally to take steps to treat the pain to the toe. Any injured person who refuses to take steps to treat pains to any part of the body does so at his own peril.
“The President is the head of the Nation, the youths are parts of the body (Nation). I urge the President as the head to address the youths (the Nation) and offer remedial steps to be taken to alleviate the pains.
“I remember that as soon as the protests began, I had issued a press release in a similar vein on the issue appealing to the President to please address the issue at that time. I now again plead with him to address the root causes of the pain which the youths are complaining about”.
