The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organizing Committee has called for the immediate dismissal of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, following the killing of protesters across the country.
This demand was made during a candlelight symposium held in honor of the victims at the Rights House in Ikeja, Lagos State, on Friday evening. The committee, based at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, Lagos, had earlier declared three days of mourning to commemorate those killed during the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests.
As the protests continue to gain momentum, a hunger strike initiated by the committee, intended to last ten days, reached its ninth day on Friday.
Amnesty International has reported that at least 21 protesters have been killed by Nigerian security forces during a week of demonstrations against widespread economic hardships.
At the candlelight symposium, Hassan Taiwo, a committee member and National Spokesperson of the Youth Rights Campaign, underscored the urgency of removing the IGP, citing the loss of more than 40 lives nationwide. “We are demanding the sacking of the Inspector General of Police,” Taiwo declared.
Following the symposium, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) planned to lead a candlelight procession in Alausa. However, police officers intervened, blocking protesters from proceeding to Alausa and offering an alternative route instead.
Despite the restrictions, Taiwo urged group members to maintain their determination to mourn the victims while respecting the directives from the Lagos State Commissioner of Police. He emphasized that their peaceful approach should not be mistaken for weakness.
“We’ve just been informed by the police that the Commissioner of Police has directed us not to go to Alausa,” Taiwo announced. “Comrades, I propose, if you don’t mind, that we take control of this procession ourselves, rather than giving them the chance to dictate our actions. They should not mistake our gentility for cowardice.”
As tensions rise, the call for the IGP’s dismissal is likely to add to the growing national and international scrutiny of the Nigerian government’s response to the protests.
