THE Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned attempts to stifle the peaceful protests by #ENDSARS protesters in the country.
The association made this known in a statement signed by Samson Ayokunle, the CAN President on Monday.
“We condemn in strong terms every attempt being made to stop or disrupt the peaceful protest which is lawfully allowed and guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” said CAN.
CAN noted that the association is monitoring the protest while they called on the Nigerian military and police to desist from intervening in the protest.
“We are monitoring the #EndSARS protests nationwide and we are praying that their unprecedented efforts to have a decent society will not be in vain.
“We call on the Military and Police to resist the temptation to intervene in a civil protest in order to avoid the harvest of deaths. We have had enough of mass burials without fighting a war in the recent past,” the statement read.
Ayokunle commended the protesting youth for advocating the reform of the police either through #EndSARS protests or Prayer Walks nationwide for embracing a peaceful approach.
“We are not unaware of your sacrifices; time, money and other risks in your quest for a reformed Police and an egalitarian society.
“CAN acknowledges and appreciates your patriotic agitation in a peaceful manner despite the pockets of attack against you either by the Police or some hired thugs to disrupt the exercise,” Ayokunle said.
On solutions to the demands of the protesters, Ayokunle issued recommendations to the federal and state governments.
CAN said the governments should immediately inaugurate a Judicial or Quasi-Judicial panel with representatives of the civil society at all levels with a view to bringing all the criminals in uniform to book.
The religious association stated that the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari should immediately send an Appropriation bill to the National Assembly for the compensation of all victims of police brutality and other extrajudicial killings in the last ten years.
CAN further recommend that a background check should be done on fresh recruitment into the police, each of the 36 state governors including the FCT minister should set up a committee to dialogue with the representatives of the protesters to douse the tension in the country, the Inspector General of Police should suspend the implementation of the establishment of SWAT until sanity is restored.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94