FG Slams Atiku Abubakar Over Statements On Security Agencies’ Use Of Lethal Force On Protesters 

Abuja, Nigeria– The Federal Government has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for misdirecting his warnings regarding the use of force by security agencies.

Atiku had advised the nation’s security forces against excessive measures against those engaging in looting and arson under the guise of peaceful protests.

The government contends that Atiku’s comments were misplaced and should have been directed at the looters themselves.

Atiku’s remarks addressed law enforcement’s actions amid violent protests in states including Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, and Jigawa.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, emphasized that Nigerian security forces have exhibited professionalism and restraint despite severe provocation from rioters.

Onanuga said they they were surprised that Alhaji Atiku is still relying on Section 40 of our constitution (as amended) to justify a protest that is now clearly a riot, a rampage in some parts of the country.

According to him, “Section 45 of the constitution says the right of assembly and freedom of expression are not absolute rights. They can be abridged and fettered in the interest of public peace, safety, law, and order. The Service Chiefs reiterated the rights of Nigerians to protest and gather freely. They, however, reinforced their constitutional duty today when they said they can not sit by idly and watch hoodlums destroy the country and its democracy.

He noted that the Service Chiefs, officers, and men of the security outfits should be commended for their patriotic duty to our country.

“As a supporter and enabler of the destructive ‘protests,’ Alhaji Atiku wants the sinister protests to continue despite the street’s red signals. A tweet that condones the destruction of private and public property and citizens’ investments is unexpected from a former vice president of Nigeria.

Onanuga explained that Alhaji Atiku ought to have risen above the sentiment he expressed and put the interest of the country’s stability ahead of whatever advantages he hoped to reap from the insurrection on our streets.

“We encourage Alhaji Atiku to adopt a more nationalistic approach that transcends personal interests and focuses on the greater good of our nation.

“He should take a cue from opposition figures in the United Kingdom who have rallied behind the government to condemn the ongoing riots in the UK, calling for the arrest and prosecution of those behind the wanton destruction of public and private assets. Such a nationalistic temperament, as displayed by opposition figures such as Rishi Sunak, the immediate past Prime Minister of the UK, is expected of Alhaji Atiku.”

He added that if Alhaji Atiku had followed this approach, he would have given hope for a united front against the destructive protests.