SEYI Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State has deployed a joint security outfit, Operation Burst to protect genuine #ENDSARS protesters in the state.
“We are deploying members of Operation Burst to various hotspots in Ibadan to arrest the situation and restore normalcy. The members of the team will continue to protect genuine protesters and their right to protest,” Makinde said Tuesday in a live broadcast following reports of violence from the protests.
The governor added that in the past two days, the protest has seen a new dimension where hoodlums have used the opportunity to perpetrate crimes.
“Thugs and hoodlums have taken advantage of the situation to perpetrate uncivil acts and harass citizens who are going about their day-to-day activities,” he said.
“Some thugs are going as far as forcing people who have businesses open to close shop and join in the protests. We know these are criminal elements. And so, as a state, we must act to protect the citizenry.”
He stated that the Director of Public Prosecution, Ministry of Justice of Oyo State, has withdrawn cases against #ENDSARS protesters, noting that those in custody have been released.
According to the governor, the Oyo State Government has set up platforms for reporting past and present incidents of police brutality and injustice.
“This will naturally pave the way for the next steps in our quest to get justice for the victims. I urge the good people of Oyo State to trust the process that we have set up and rest assured that every case will be pursued to a logical conclusion,” he noted.
However, Makinde has directed all schools in Ibadan, the state capital to close from Wednesday, October 21, till the rest of this week.
He said the situation would be reviewed on Friday, October 23, and then further directives would be given.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94