People who destroyed properties in the name of protest should be fished out and punished.
OBVIOUSLY, those who took advantage of the widespread #EndSARS protests and set fire to many commuter buses in Lagos, among other things, should be arrested, tried and punished. Their destructive actions are condemnable. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) terminals at Iddo, Ojodu and Ikotun in Lagos were affected.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso said 80 BRT vehicles were destroyed: 23 big BRT buses burnt at Ojodu and 57 medium-sized BRT buses burnt at Iddo. The 80 destroyed BRT buses are valued at N3.929 billion.
The protests against police brutality and abuse of power that prompted the disbandment of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), known as SARS, did not justify wanton destruction.
The police arrested two suspects, Ebere Reuben, 29, and Samuel Oyediran, 16, allegedly involved in burning the BRT terminal at Berger and Television Continental (TVC) at Ikosi-Ketu. According to Lagos police commissioner Hakeem Odumosu, “a total of 520 suspects” were arrested for various offences including “arson, robbery, murder, rioting, malicious damage, and unlawful possession of firearms.”
The list of destroyed public assets includes the High Court complex, Igbosere; Lagos State DNA and Forensic Center, Broad Street; Ejigbo LCDA secretariat; City Hall, Lagos Island; COVID-19 warehouse at Monkey Village; Ajeromi Ifelodun LG secretariat; and NPA head office, Marina.
It is disturbing that 16 police stations were burnt by rampaging mobs across the state, and 13 police formations were vandalized as well as police posts at Mowo, Morogbo, Ikota and Mawa, symbolizing a breakdown of law and order.
Odumosu said: ”Some private facilities, as well as other investments that were partly torched and vandalized/looted, include the Oba of Lagos’ Palace; Television Continental (TVC) at Ikosi-Ketu; Access Bank, GTBank and Ebeano Supermarket at Victoria Island; The Nation office at Fatai Atere Street, Mushin; Shoprite Malls at Ajah; LTV 8, Alausa, Ikeja; Samsung outlet at Apple Roundabout, Festac; Shoprite at Festac; and Samsung Office, Oyingbo.”
Rebuilding Lagos, the hardest-hit state, will require not only political will but also massive funding. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, spoke about the huge funds needed for the reconstruction and repair of the affected properties and infrastructure, saying he “learnt from the governor of Lagos State that it will take N1trn to rebuild what had been lost.”
It is significant that 17 senators representing the six Southwest states, after a visit to assess the scale of the destruction, concluded that the state government could not carry the burden alone and promised to push for assistance from the Federal Government.
The state’s status as the country’s economic and commercial capital makes rebuilding it crucial. It is lamentable that funds which could have been used to further develop the state would now have to be used for its rehabilitation.
Furthermore, the destruction of infrastructure will make things difficult for many people. For instance, the burning of BRT buses means that commuters will scramble for places on fewer buses, compounding the city’s transport problem. Also, the burning of police stations will compound the challenges of the police and diminish their capacity to maintain law and order.
Police investigation into the mayhem should be thorough. Some of the arrested suspects were reported saying they were innocent, and “claimed they were arrested at the bus stop or apprehended in front of their shops or near their homes.” The police must avoid scapegoating. This applies to all #EndSARS –related cases of looting and arson across the country.
Sponsored hoodlums are believed to have hijacked the #EndSARS protests and introduced violence and destruction. Beyond arresting and prosecuting those who carried out the anarchic actions, the police should track down those who masterminded the mayhem.
