A senior lawyer, Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN has reacted to the statement of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army that Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu invited soldiers to quell the protest of the youths at the Lekki Toll gate, saying that government has a lot of questions to answer.
The Acting Public Relations Officer of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major Olaniyi Osoba, on Tuesday in a statement said that the Lagos governor invited the soldiers to quell the riot after the state declared a 24 hour curfew. Major Osoba however denied that the soldiers shot at the #Endsars protesters.
In his reaction, Chief Akintola said there are many questions begging for answers. “What a contradiction! First, Nigerian soldiers were not at the scene at all. Second Nigerian Soldiers were there on Governor’s Sanwolu’s invitation…More and more questions begging for answers”.
He then asked: “Who has the power or authority to deploy Soldiers? Under what circumstances would Soldiers be deployed? Has the Senate or better still, National Assembly any role to play in the deployment of Nigerian Soldiers, and if so under what circumstances? What were the rules of engagement on such mission such as this? Was Lagos under a state of emergency? When was it declared? Is Nigeria under a democratic or Military rule? What is the position of the 1999 constitution as amended vis-vis deployment of the Military?
He added:”These and many other questions are begging for answers and one would expect discourse on the embarrassing Lekki Toll Gate saga to take into consideration the Nigerian socio-political-primordial and economic factors and many more in addressing the saga”.
Chief Akintola said that the Youth #Endsars protest was a revolution that was aborted, and that the Nigerian elites must be thankful.
“The Nigerian elites must thank their stars that the aborted revolution by the Nigerian Youths collapsed due largely to lack of synergy or better still, cooperation between the largely highly educated and sophisticated Youths, and their largely uneducated and hopeless counterparts;
The former, with good intentions and highly altruistic motives unfortunately took no notice of the latter factor. The latter, largely hopeless, deranged, emotively motivated and hugely have nothing to live for, simply destroyed the scientific efforts of 12 days anchored and nurtured by the former in just two days”.
Chief Akintola said further: “The Nigerian Political, Economic, Military, Academic and Business elites should go for a thanksgiving on Friday and Sunday in Mosques and Churches. They should also pray in their different sanctuaries to God Almighty, to like the coming of Jesus Christ delay the coming of the Armageddon;
He said that “the day the internet generation and the Vulcanizers, roadside mechanics, plumbers, electricians, motor touts, artisans of different disciplines, thugs, Almajiris and other dregs of the society form a synergy would mark the beginning of the end of the arrogant and selfish Nigerian elites.
“Nigerian elites should continue to pray for the continuous division of the vision by the suffering duo. Nigerian elites, pray, pray and continue to pray. It is in your interest”, he concluded.
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