President Buhari Says 69 People Died In #EndSARS Protest |The Source

By Akinwale Kasali

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally opened up on the casualty figure no thanks to the nationwide #EndSARS  protest.

He revealed that no fewer than 69 people were killed after hoodlums hijacked the protests embarked upon by youths to against brutality and extra-judicial killings by the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a branch of the Nigerian Police.

The President disclosed this at a meeting he had on Friday with Former Nigerian Presidents and Heads of States. It was an emergency meeting held to find a way to pull Nigeria back from the edge of collapse. And to show the seriousness of the meeting, all of them, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Military President General Ibrahim Babangida, attended the meeting.

Obasanjo, disgusted by the Buhari Government, had stopped attending State functions, unlike in the early days of Buhari administration when he was a regular face at the Aso Rock Villa. In the case of IBB, health challenges kept him away had kept him away from the Villa. But  all of them were at the virtual meeting.

Speaking, Buhari said it was unfortunate that the initial genuine and well-intended protest by youths in parts of the country against former SARS was hijacked and misdirected, causing the violence experienced across the country.

The fatalities recorded include civilians and law enforcement agents who  were preventing arson and breakdown of law and order.

President Buhari assured the ex-leaders that the administration would not allow further breakdown of law and order, even as it had decided to meet the demands of the #EndSARS protesters. He stated that efforts have been put in place to ensure the safety of lives and property.

Giving a breakdown of the fatalities,  he said about 51 civilians, 11 police officers and seven soldiers had been killed in the unrest, though, it was not immediately clear whether these figures include the protesters allegedly killed by security forces at the Lekki tollgate.

Buhari lamented the destruction of number of public and private properties worth Trillions of Naira that had been completely vandalized by the hijackers, saying this would not be tolerated.

Speaking after the meeting   Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, declared said all the leaders, without exception, commended the President’s address to the Nation on  Thursday.