Ex-military Administrator Of Lagos ‘Troubled’ By Lekki Shootings

Former Military Administrator of Lagos State, General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has called on Nigerian youths to embrace dialogue and constructive engagement with authorities at all levels of government in order to achieve their demands.

General Marwa made the appeal in a statement signed by him to commiserate with the victims of the Lekki shooting and all others including security agents who lost their lives, properties or got injured during the #EndSARS protests across the country.

He also commiserated with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, APC leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Oba of Lagos, HRM Rilwan Akiolu and other state governors and leaders who equally lost persons and assets in their various states

“As a former military administrator of Lagos with great bonds and cherished affinity with the good people of the state, I was deeply troubled and worried by then news reports I got about the ugly turn of events at the Lekki toll plaza on Tuesday October 20, 2020 and the subsequent wanton destruction of public and private assets.

“This should never have been if peaceful protesters had not been confronted with live bullets and innocent lives lost in the process.

“The chain reaction that followed and the hijack of the peaceful protests by some elements, motivated by other motives should serve as a great lesson to all stakeholders in the Nigerian project.

“No doubt, the demands of the youths have caught the attention of government at all levels and even the international community. As such, I want to implore them that now that their statement had been made loud and clear, they should modify their strategy; embrace the dialogue option, so as to deny fifth columnists the chance to change the narrative of their struggle and tarnish their unblemished agenda,” he stated.

Marwa who is presently Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse, PACEDA, added that, the spate of violent attacks, mindless destruction, looting and arson across the country underscores and brings to the front burner the urgent need to wage ferocious war against substance abuse in the country.

He explained that the prevalent cases of substance abuse by some hoodlums aggravated the mayhem in some parts of the country.

According to him, “more than ever before, the recent events have again shown that there is the urgent need to expedite all pending actions by government to tackle and make decisive moves against substance and drug abuse in the country.”