Outrage As Oba Of Lagos Praises Army For Shooting #EndSARS Protesters

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has praised the Nigerian army for its intervention during #EndSARS protests despite sweeping criticisms of the latter for opening fire on unarmed protesters at Lekki Tollgate.

In October 2020, thousands of youth demonstrated across the country for days in protest against decades of police brutality and other human rights abuses by defunct police department tagged Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Mr Akinolu who hosted the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Farouk Yahaya, at his palace on Tuesday, said although several Nigerians criticised the army for shooting protesters, he appreciated their efforts.

“I appreciate the efforts of the Nigerian Army during the #EndSARS’ protest.

“Many people criticised them for coming out during the protest but it was good they came out when the police could no longer handle the situation,” he said.

The monarch’s comment is despite a report by the state Judicial Panel of Inquiry to investigate cases of brutality, which described the October 20, 2020 incident as a massacre.

The panel also established that the Nigerian military shot live bullets, killed several protesters, and took corpses away in their vans.

But Mr Akinolu argued that the military’s intervention cushioned the situation.

“The army’s intervention calmed the situation, and I also thank the almighty Allah that nobody died in the palace during the incident,” he said.

The Lagos monarch’s palace was in 2020 invaded by irate youths who accused him of hoarding palliatives meant for poor citizens.

Foodstuffs, starched hard currencies, staff of office, among other valuables were carted away from Mr Akiolu’s palace as he was chased away from his domain for months.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, who was on an operational visit to Lagos to inaugurate some projects, said that his visit to the palace was to get royal blessings from the traditional ruler.

“I came to this palace to pay my respect and homage to the king before inaugurating the project in Isale-Eko.” he said

Outrage As APC Sells National Chairmanship Form For N20million, Deputy N10million

Some Nigerians have taken to different social media platforms to comdernm the All Progressive Congress (APC) for selling their National Chairmanship form in an amount that was discribed as “outrageous”.

APC has announced that ahead of its March 26 National Convention, aspirants vying for the office of national chairman will pay N20million to obtain forms.

The party revealed this in a circular made available on Tuesday after its 25th regular meeting which was held on March 14, 2022.

This is as the forms for deputy national chairman will sell for N10million while zonal chairmen and other officers will pay N5million to obtain nomination forms.

Female aspirants and people with disabilities will pay 50 per cent of all the aforementioned rates.

It was gathered the sale of nomination forms, which was billed to have started on Monday March 14, will close on Friday.

The development comes amid the crisis in the ruling party as allies of the ousted National Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC of the All Progressives Congress APC, Gov. Mai Mala Buni, on Tuesday, took over the Buhari House national secretariat of the party.

The move, it was gathered, is suggestive of the imminent return of Governor Buni back into the country.

This is even as the National Secretary of the CECPC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe who had stayed away from the secretariat, was seen at the venue on Tuesday accompanied by the Kogi state chairman of the party, Abdullahi Bello and some aides of Gov. Buni.

Many Nigerians were shocked when Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State, last week Monday, made a dramatic entry into the party’s national secretariat in Abuja to preside over the caretaker committee meeting.

He, thereafter, administered the oath of office on the controversially elected state chairmen of the party.