A group of media managers, under the aegis of Delta Online Publishers Forum, DOPF, has commiserated with families who lost their loved ones, and the injured persons in the ongoing #EndSARS protest rocking the country in the past two weeks.
The forum, in a press statement signed by the chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Enebeli, and Secretary, Mr. Shedrack Onitsha, stated that while the forum wholeheartedly supports the protest as it was genuinely targeted at curbing what had been considered as abuse of Nigerians for more than a decade, it, however, frowns at the manner in which the protest had degenerated saying it is worrisome, as lives, critical infrastructure are bein torched and destroyed.
The statement added that unwarranted attack on the protesters on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, where numbers of persons were allegedly killed and scores injured could have been avoided, if the government especially, at the federal level had acted on time at checking the action of miscreants who took advantage of the inaction of the federal government to hijack the peaceful protest.
“We mourn with Nigerians, on the lives lost in the cause of this protest, and we called on the Nigerian authority to investigate the incident and prosecute in public any of the killer officers.
“The deaths witnessed would have been avoided if the government, especially at the federal level has acted proactively and addressed the protesting youths and Nigerians.
DOPF stated further that the loss of any Nigerian life no matter how old cannot be justified by any reason, as such the forum is pained by the death of Nigerian youths whose only offense is asking for good governance.
The forum also condemned the reported attacks on journalists, media houses, security men who are performing their lawful duties.
DOPF decried the highjack of the protest by some hoodlums who have abandoned the agenda of the protesters, to start attacking private businesses and state infrastructure.
It called on Nigerians to see media houses, journalists, and security operatives as people who are carrying out their lawful duties to inform, and protect lives and properties and therefore, be supported instead of being attacked.
It further called on Nigerians to remain focused on the goal of getting the country to the path of greatness, and should not allow the deaths of some of the protesters dim the fire of call to restructure the system of governance in Nigeria.
