PDP demands probe into ‘killing’ of #EndSARS protesters

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the setting up of an independent judicial panel of enquiry to probe what led to the killing of peaceful #EndSARS protesters at Lekki toll gate in Lagos. Security forces had, on Tuesday night, opened fire on #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate where many protesting youths […]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the setting up of an independent judicial panel of enquiry to probe what led to the killing of peaceful #EndSARS protesters at Lekki toll gate in Lagos.

Security forces had, on Tuesday night, opened fire on #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate where many protesting youths were reportedly killed and many others injured.

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Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, the PDP’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said President Muhammadu Buhari should declare a state of emergence on the nation’s security architecture “in the face of glaring incompetence in governance.”

Secondus said: “A government that should be concerned about national security has also dangerously gone ahead to encourage violence by deploying troops against protesting citizens.

“As the main opposition party which has carefully watched this development, PDP views the dimension the federal government is directing the protest as unfortunate and dangerous to national cohesion and peace.”

“PDP stands shoulder to shoulder with all the victims of this brutal attitude and condemns in strongest term, the mindless and inhuman shooting of citizens, an action that runs foul of every national and international laws.

“We also urge the protesting youths to ensure that they continue to be peaceful even in the face of provocations.

“Rather than emulate legitimate responses of civilized leaders to protests of this nature across the democratic nations globally, Nigeria government prefers the ignominious option of the 1989 Tiananmen Square in China that ended with military crackdown that became known in history as the Tiananmen Square massacre.

“We request for the immediate setting up of an independent judicial panel to look into the handling of this peaceful protest especially as it relates the role of security agencies,” Secondus added.

The Defence Headquarters has refused to comment on the allegation that soldiers killed protesters in Lekki on Tuesday.