The Minna branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has called for the establishment of an independent panel to investigate the alleged killings of six protesters in Suleja, Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
The association also lambasted security agencies for using force on protesters during the nationwide mass protest against hunger and hardship in parts of Niger State.
The chairman of the Minna branch of NBA, Isyaku Barau, stated this in a signed statement made available to journalists in Minna.
“We condemn in strong terms the chaotic violent protest leading to the killing of six protesters by security personnel in Suleja area of the states,” he said.
He also called for the establishment of an independent panel to investigate the alleged killings.
The NBA statement applauded the collective decision of the people of the state to refuse to participate in the ongoing nationwide protest against hardship and hunger.
Barau explained that before the commencement of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, the President of NBA, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, had acknowledged that there was widespread hunger and suffering among Nigerians.
Barau, while “calling on the government to expedite actions to provide relief,” also appealed to the protest organisers and the Nigerian populace to shelve the protests and engage in frank discussions with the government.
According to him, the NBA president foresaw the potential negative danger of the protests based on the fact that previous peaceful protests in Nigeria had often been hijacked and turned violent by miscreants and hoodlums.
Against this backdrop, the NBA President had directed all branches of the association to form Situation Monitoring Committees to observe the protests as they proceeded.
“The Minna branch of the NBA has already constituted a ten-member committee chaired by the branch’s Vice Chairman, Mohammed Abugi, who is also the chairman of the Human Rights Committee of NBA, Minna Branch.
“The committee’s role is to collaborate with security agencies to protect peaceful protesters, monitor the protests for human rights abuses, compile and document evidence of such abuses, liaise with security authorities in emergencies, and provide pro bono legal services for peaceful protesters if needed,” Barau further disclosed.
He noted that the NBA Minna branch, while recognising the constitutional rights of Nigerians to protest, strongly condemned acts of violence, looting, and the wanton destruction of private and public properties under the guise of protest, particularly the alleged attack and destruction of the Local Government Secretariat in Tafa.
“The decision of many people in Niger State not to participate in the ongoing nationwide protests is linked to the positive impacts of the Niger State Government’s initiatives on urban renewal and food security, which are expected to address hunger in the state soon,” he added.
