Activists in Osun State have condemned the massive vandalisation and looting of public properties in the “disguise” of the End SARS protest and dissociated the movement from such criminal activities.
The group described the looting as saddening, uncivilised and criminal, and urged the law enforcement agents to be alive to their responsibility of protecting the public properties and arrest of vandals.
The group appreciated the doggedness and resilience of the teeming youths in the state, especially for showcasing genuine concerns for nation-building.
The Osun End SARS activists led by Ayo Ologun, Ige Ebenezer, Adebisi Emanuel among others at a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital saluted the patriotic commitment and stance of youths against brute force and unlawful activities of the disbanded Special Anti-robbery Squad(SARS).
According to the press text, “in the course of our genuine struggle for the emancipation of the weak and downtrodden, and for a better society of our desire, some unscrupulous elements with divisive tendencies sneaked into the barricade and disrupted our procession.
“The most disheartening and pathetic of this rude obstruction of our movement to the point of egalitarianism was the kleptomaniac tendencies of these individuals, who used our popular struggle as a cover to steal, maim, and vandalise our common patrimony.
“Going forward, therefore, as we implicitly comply with a 24-hour curfew imposed on the state by the government, for the ultimate goal of returning sanity and peace into the state, we hereby use this medium to notify our teeming youths that every agitation and protest has been put on hold.
“We enjoin our comrades to avoid any form of public gathering in respect of #EndSars and to uphold the collective suspension of protest as earlier agreed to allow the government in Osun State to carry out necessary steps towards meeting an array of our demands, especially the 5-point demand as endorsed by the Federal Government.
“It should be noted that anybody caught on the street doing otherwise under the guise of #EndSARS protest would be treated as a defiant and such individual will consequently face the full wrath of the law.
“We further enjoin anybody with a genuine claim of police brutality other related matters to approach the newly inaugurated Judicial Panel of Enquiry for redress.”
