Nigeria back to Abacha days – Wole Soyinka condemn Lekki tollgate shooting
Soyinka, who said this while condeming the shooting of unarmed End SARS protesters at Lekki toll gate on Tuesday, alleged that the army has replaced the notorious SARS unit.
A statement he signed and released on Wednesday said according to his enquiry, the Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state did not invite the Army, neither did he complain of a ‘breakdown in law and order’.
He accused the federal government of acting in an authoritarian manner and has inflicted a near incurable wound on the community psyche.
“It is absolutely essential to let this government know that the Army has now replaced SARS in the demonic album of the protesters.
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“COVID-19 has battered the Nigerian economy – such as it is – for over eight months. Of course, it is not easy to bring down COVID under a hail of bullets – human lives are easier target, and there are even trophies to flaunt as evidence of victory – such as the blood-soaked Nigerian flag that one of the victims was waving at the time of his murder.
“All inherent beauty of instant bonding and solidarity evaporated. At the block just before the Lagos Secretariat, the protesters proved the most recalcitrant. In the end, they exacted from me just the one offering to the rites of passage – I could sense it coming — I had to come down from the car and addressed them. I did.
“Little did they know what was churning in my mind: This is not real. This is Back to Abacha – in grotesque replay.
Soyinka further explained that the 24-hr Curfews imposed by state government are not solutions to the issue
” Substitute community self-policing based on Local Councils, to curb hooligan infiltration and extortionist and destructive opportunism.”
He called on the the Army to apologize to not only the nation but to the global community because the facts are indisputable that they opened fire on unarmed civilians.
Soyinka noted there must be structured restitution, assurance that such aberrations will not be recorded.
