The House of Representatives on Tuesday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to proclaim an Executive Order addressing the broader issues of police brutality, while giving timelines to his promises to address the demands of the ENDSARS protesters across the country.
The House also asked the President to immediately speak to the issues raised by the protesters, while appealing to them to have faith in the National Assembly and the Executive in their collective efforts towards finding a lasting solution to the lingering issues of general police misconduct.
Adopting a motion of urgent public importance on the need to address the possible breach of national security under the peaceful protests across the country sponsored by Hon. Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), the House resolved constituted an Ad-hoc Committee headed by the Deputy Speaker to interface with relevant security agencies, other relevant agencies, and interest groups to ensure a peaceful end to the protests.
Moving the motion, Hon. Soli acknowledges the legitimate and constitutional right to peaceful protests of citizens and the quick action of the Federal Government by yielding to the demands to ban the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force (SARS).
According to him, the President has assured Nigerians that all policemen responsible for the misconduct are brought to justice while persons being held in SARS cells are promptly released.
The lawmaker expressed concern that the legitimate protests by the citizens have been infiltrated by hoodlums, which may result in the breakdown of law and order, while the continuous protests across the country have inflicted untold hardship on other Nigerians pursuing their legitimate livelihoods.
He stressed that the protests have impacted negatively on the nation’s economy as economic activities have been inadvertently crippled by the protests, adding that the protests may be taking a dangerous political dimension which could be inimical to the country’s democratic process;
While emphasizing that the protest has been hijacked by hoodlums and other unpatriotic Nigerians, he drew attention to reports of break-ins at a medium-security correctional centre along Sapele Road in Benin, and burning of Police Stations all in Edo State, as well as general violence by hoodlums brandishing dangerous weapons, causing mayhem and grounding vehicular movements in major cities across the country;
He also expressed concern that public health and safety of the populace was in danger as the protests may escalate the spread of the COVID-19 infection across the country, adding that people are finding it increasingly difficult to access health care and other services;