19102020 - #EndSARS: Stop Army's planned Op Crocodile Smile

Vanguard, MONDAY,OCTOBER 19, 2020 — 35
#EndSARS: Stop Army's planned Op Crocodile Smile
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and ruling class is to step
back and reflect and undertake
a radical overhaul and
comprehensive root and
branch reforms of the security
and law enforcement
agencies, as well as of the
armed forces.
“So far, we can confirm at
least 13 persons have been
extra-judicially killed in
the course of the peaceful
protest (Oyo – 4; Edo – 2;
Ondo – 1; Osun – 2; and
Lagos – 4). In addition is
the attack on peaceful assembly
in eight states (Oyo,
Lagos, Edo, Plateau, Anambra,
FCT, Kano and
Osun).”
CSOs list
demands
So, the CSOs joined the
youths in demanding: “Accountability
for previous,
current, and ongoing acts
of the brutalization of citizens
from the government
and its agencies. Offending
officers must be identified,
investigated, prosecuted,
and punished.
“That a mechanism is put
in place to identify all previous
and current victims of
police brutality, to ensure
that they get justice, including
compensations.
“That all those arrested
during the ongoing protest
be released unconditionally.
“That the President constitutes
and summons an
emergency and inaugural
meeting of the Nigeria Police
Council [NPC] provided
for in the 1999 CFRN
[as amended], in Section
216, and whose composition
and functions were
clearly stated in Part III
[Supplemental and interpretation],
Sections 27 & 28
of the same constitution.
“That the government
moves beyond cosmetic
approaches in responding
to the yearnings of protesting
citizens. Building confidence
would involve moving
speedily to implement
key first steps, including the
expeditious public trial of
police officers who have
been accused with evidence
and are found to
have perpetrated crimes,
including extra-judicial
killings, against the Nigerian
people.
“That an independent
and multi-stakeholder committee,
including the acknowledged
representatives
of the protesting
youths among others, be
constituted to oversee the
implementation, and undertake
monitoring and
assessment of the implementation
of the Police Act
2020 as the basis for undertaking
the institutional and
systemic reforms that are
urgently needed.
“Finally, we reject the repression
of ongoing protests.”
‘Nigerians must
brace up’
The coalition commended
the youths who have
defied the odds to make
their voices heard.
“This is just the beginning
as we stand with the youths
of Nigeria who have taken
leadership to demand accountability
and a better
Nigeria. The struggle has
just begun, and the people
of this country must brace
up to take their destinies
into their hands.’’
Other organizations represented
at the briefing are:
Partners for Electoral Reform,
Centre for Information,
Technology and Development
(CITAD), Yiaga
Africa, Global Rights,
Project Alert, Women Advocates
Research and Documentation
Centre
(WARDC), Paradigm Initiative,
Rule of Law and Accountability
Centre (RU-
LAAC), HEDA Resource
Centre, African Centre for
Media & Information Literacy
(AFRICMIL), Community
Life Project (CLP), Protest
to Power, Social Action,
Take Back Nigeria Movement
(TBN), Right to
Know, Lawyers Alert, Private
and Public Development
Centre, South Saharan
Social Development
Organisation, Partners
West Africa- Nigeria, Centre
LSD, Connected Develo
p m e n t
(CODE),Stakeholders Development
Network
(SDN), BUDGiT, CWCW
Africa, Peering Advocacy
and Advancement Centrer
in Africa (PAACA), Invictus
Africa, and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation
and Welfare
Action (PRAWA).
ASCAB warns
FG, Army boss
Similarly, another coalition
of labour and civil society
civil society bodies,
under the aegis of Alliance
for Survival of COVID-19
and Beyond, ASCAB, has
warned the Chief of Army
Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai,
or any of his men of the risk
facing the International
Criminal Court, ICC, in the
Hague if any of the #END-
SARs protesters was killed.
The group urged the Federal
Government to withdraw
plans to use soldiers
to quell the protests that
have rocked major cities
across Nigeria, noting that
the protest which began five
days ago, peaked at the
weekend when some
Northern cities joined the
movement.
In a statement signed by
its Chairman, Mr Femi
Falana, SAN, the group
asked President Muhammadu
Buhari not to invite
soldiers to resolve a purely
democratic issue that called
for dialogue and constructive
engagement.
ASCAB said protests had
common features across the
world as seen in Hong
Kong, the United States,
France, South Africa, Belarus
and even in Sudan,
adding that in no instance
has soldiers been deployed
to suppress the protesters.
“Nigeria wants to set another
ugly precedence in
world history,” the group
said.
It reminded the Federal
Government that Operation
Crocodile Smile had
EndSars Protest—EndSars Protest continued at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos,
yesterday. Photo: Akeem Salau
been declared illegal by a
court of competent jurisdiction,
following legal actions
filed by Mr Femi Falana.
It added that efforts by the
Chief of Army Staff to challenge
the order by approaching
the Court of Appeal
met a brickwall.
ASCAB recalled that the
Federal High Court in July
this year, granted a perpetual
injunction restraining
the Army from such an exercise
in Femi Falana SAN
v Chief of Army Staff (FHV/
L/CS/1939/19
The coalition said every
bullet that goes out of the
barrel of the gun, was
owned by the people of
Nigeria, adding that it was
a crime under international
law to release these bullets
with the hope of taking
human life.
ASCAB said it was unfortunate
that the Federal Government
was sending a signal
to the military that it had
a role to play in a purely
civil matter.
The group said it is already
monitoring and
compiling lists of all rights
extra-judicial killings associated
with the protests and
that any the Nigerian Chief
of Army Staff, Lt General
Tukur Yusuf Buratai and the
soldiers involved in any
killings will be held responsible
personally responsible
at the international
court.
ASCAB said peaceful protests
are the only way Nigerians
are entitled under
the Nigerian constitution to
register their grievances
against a system that suffocates
them.
“The plan to deploy soldiers
is dangerous. It will
push Nigeria into the red
light district of global reckoning.
Sending soldiers
after school children and
leaders of tomorrow shows
what future we anticipate
for the teeming population
of young men and women
who have taken to the
streets to protest against a
system that buries their
dreams and shatter their
potentials and aspirations”
ASCAB said.
“We urge President Muhammadu
Buhari not to
use soldiers to quell a
peaceful, civil protest. The
protesters have been lawful.
The few cases of violence
were associated with
armed thugs disrupting the
protests coupled with the
shooting of protesters by
security operatives.”
‘Crocodile Smile’ not
going after #End-
SARS protesters,
says Army
The Nigerian Army says
“Operation Crocodile
Smile” has nothing to do
with #EndSARS protest.
In a statement, yesterday,
Musa Sagir, Army spokesman,
said it is wrong to say
the exercise is targeted at
protesters who are out in
major cities across the
country.
Sagir said the Army has
been professional since the
protest started “nearly two
weeks ago.”
The statement read: “The
attention of the Nigerian
Army (NA) has been drawn
to some social media stuff
wrongfully condemning
the Army and its Leadership
over the announcement
of Exercise CROCO-
DILE SMILE VI particularly
the Cyber Warfare Component
of the Exercise. This
year’s Exercise CROCO-
DILE SMILE is scheduled
to commence from the 20th
of October to the 31st of
December 2020 has no relationship
with any lawful
protest under any guise
whatsoever.
“For the records, Exercise
CROCODILE SMILE is a
yearly exercise in the NA
Calendar/Forecast of
Events which traditionally
holds from October to December
of each year.
“Thus, to now insinuate
that it is an exercise meant
to stifle the ongoing END-
SARS protest is to say the
least highly misinformed.
Exercise CROCODILE
SMILE VI has nothing to
do with the ongoing protest
and the NA has never
been involved in the ongoing
protest in any form
whatsoever. So far, the army
has acted professionally
since the civil protest started
over two weeks ago.
“The Army hereby enjoins
all law abiding Nigerians
to go about their lawful
activities unhindered as
the Exercise has nothing to
do with ENDSARS protest,
but a yearly event set out
to train NA officers.
Thugs, not
protesters,
attacked me
— Osun gov
Also yesterday, Osun
State governor, Mr. Adegboyega
Oyetola, said his
attackers at the #EndSARS
protest on Saturday were
hired political thugs and
not youth protesting against
police brutality in the state
capital.
He also denied that his
convoy killed two persons
during the attack unleashed
on his convoy, saying
one the victims had
been involved in an accident
around 12:30pm,
while the other one was
said to have died at Ayepe
area of the town.
Governor Oyetola in a
statewide broadcast, said
youths in the state had been
protesting peacefully
against police brutality before
the process was hijacked
by hoodlums and
political thugs.
The statement read: “Yesterday
evening (Saturday),
political thugs and hoodlums
made failed attempts
on my life and those of my
aides while identifying with
our beloved youths who
were engaging in legitimate
protest against the
alleged brutality of the now
disbanded Special Anti-
Robbery Squad, SARS.
“My entourage and I
joined protesters from Alekuwodo
area to Olaiya
Junction chanting solidarity
songs with them and
encouraging them along
the way. During the course
of my address to the protesters
to reiterate our cooperation
and support, political
thugs hijacked the
exercise and hurled stones
and dangerous weapons at
us and vandalized several
cars in my convoy.
“Preliminary investigation
revealed that the commando
style with which the
assailants carried out their
attack was deliberate and
pre-planned. It was also
evident that it was not the
genuine protesters that carried
out the violence.
“Preliminary investigation
further revealed that
no live bullet or cannister
of teargas was fired at the
rampaging political thugs.
Therefore, no life was lost
at the scene of the incident.
I was properly evacuated to
safety.
“Regrettably, two lives
were reportedly lost yesterday.
But none occcured
during the attack on me.
One of the said deaths
which was caused by a lone
motorcycle accident occurred
around 12noon,
long before I got to the protest
ground.
“The second death was
said to have occurred
around Ayepe, about five
kilometers away from Olaiya
where we held the protest.
“We sympathise with the
families of the diseased and
pray to God to grant them
the fortitude to bear the
great losses.
“I have directed that the
incidents be properly investigated
with a view to
ascertaining the causes of
the deaths.
“By this week, we shall
be setting up a Judicial Panel
of Enquiry in line with
the directive of Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo to investigate
all related cases
of abuse and brutality by
the disbanded SARS. This
panel will also investigate
yesterday’s attack.
“What happened on Saturday
is objectionable, unacceptable
and a blight to
the Omoluabi ethos that the
State of Osun stands for.
“Attempt on the life of the
governor cannot be
planned by the youths who
constituted over 60 per cent
of the voters that elected us
into office and had embarked
on successful and
peaceful road walks with us
several times in the past.
“Osun youths who are the
original #EndSARS protesters
have travelled the
long road of building a better
Osun with us and we
have been on the lane of
delivering a better and
prosperous Osun together.
This assassination attempt
could not have come from
them.
“Our Administration had
identified with the youths
from Day One of the protest
in the belief that protest
is a legitimate right of
the citizenry and a core
component of democracy.
On the day one of the protest,
Senior Government
Officials were at the Nelson
Mandela Freedom Park
to identify with and address
the protesters.
“Rest assured that we are
on top of the situation. We
shall fish out the perpetrators
of this dastardly act
and bring them to justice.
We shall not condone any
act that will compromise the
lives of our people and the
hard-won ranking of our
State as the most peaceful
state in Nigeria. As a responsible
government, we
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