Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, on Thursday asked government officials to engage demonstrators amid the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
Aggrieved Nigerians had stormed several States including the FCT to express their grievance against high cost of living demanding better economic conditions for the citizens.
Despite court order restraining the protests in some states and the nation’s capital, the protesters came out in the numbers demanding the reversal of some government policies.
Falana, reacting to the protests on Channels Television, said the government must stop mobilising youths to disrupt rallies.
Police operatives, he said, are empowered to provide adequate security cover for the protesters nationwide.
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He said, “We must also learn to stop mobilising people to disrupt rallies, we must stop mobilising traditional rulers and some emergency organisations to say, ‘we are pulling out of the protests.’
“The government must now begin to identify those who are genuinely aggrieved and then begin to engage them, ‘what are your complaint?’ So that people will have a sense of belonging.”
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also called on security agencies to hold talks with the protesters after receiving proper notification of the demonstrations.
The nationwide protests against economic hardship started on Thursday, August 1, 2024, and is scheduled to stretch till August 10.
