Nigeria fears accountability, not armed groups – Farotimi

Civil rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, says theNigerian state fears accountability and the rule of law more than it fearsarmed groups terrorizing citizens. Farotimi stated this on Tuesday while responding toquestions in an interview on The Morning Brief, a programme on ChannelsTelevision . He said that the Nigerian state has consistentlydemonstrated hostility towards citizens who peacefully demand their rightswhile showing tolerance to violent actors like bandits and terrorists. His stance comes after a protest for the release of theleader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from detention. The protest, led by activist andformer presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, was held in Abuja on Monday. “I think it is easy to elicit the truth when you look at theobjective realities. On October 20, 2020, Nigerians were protesting peacefully,waving flags and singing the national anthem. They were murdered in cold blood.That is the response of the Nigerian state to those demanding to be treated ascitizens,” he said. Farotimi noted that the #EndSARS protest was a response toyears of brutality by the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), whichhe described as the “brutal arm” of the Nigerian government in enforcingimpunity. He said rather than address citizens’ grievances, the state resortedto violence. He added that every time activists like Omoyele Sowore andothers organize protests, the Nigerian Police respond with “full force, alwaysready to murder and maim,” but remain silent in the face of atrocitiescommitted by bandits, terrorists and armed militias. “When you look at the way the same Nigerian state treatsbandits, terrorists, and Fulani militia murdering Nigerians in the full glareof everyone, you see complicit silence by the state. The Nigerian state isscared of being subjected to the rule of law and being accountable to itsvictims,” he added.

Read More