Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has restated his condemnation of the shooting of End SARS protesters adding that those in power are products of protests.
“Those in power today are products of protests by the people of this great country”, he declared in a statement on Saturday.
Men in Nigerian Army uniforms believed to be military personnel had last Tuesday fired at unarmed protestors at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos.
The unprovoked attack has been denounced by the international community.
The United States not only demanded prosecution of the soldiers, the world power sent a delegation to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Adams insisted that the right to protest is guaranteed by the constitution of Nigeria and supported by various United Nations, (UN) and African Charter on peoples and human rights.
The Aare maintained that the End SARS protest was a democratic request by millions of Nigerians whose relations were killed or brutalized by the police controlled by the Federal Government.
He said the demonstration was not just the expression of anger against police, but against a cruel system that cages majority of Nigerians, destroy and bury their lofty dreams and aspirations.
“Millions of people are hungry. They are frustrated and left to live a life of misery. The country was emerging from COVID-19 and the next thing is an increase in fuel and electricity tariff. We have reports of people who earn N50,000 in a month and have to pay electricity bills of N25,000 in one month.
“Some earn N30,000 in a month and have a bill of N20,000 as electricity bill. A bag of rice is over N40,000. How can a country sustain her citizens whose minimum wage cannot buy a bag of rice?”
The Yoruba leader reiterated his case for regionalism, urging the Federal and State Governments to work towards returning Nigeria to the system to save the country from “imminent collapse and break up”.
“Nigeria is a country in perpetual conflict, I call on the National Assembly to initiate the process of returning the country to regionalism to stem the wave of unrest. Our leaders are adamant in defending a reckless and self-defeatist system”, the Aare added.
