Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has urged government officials to engage with the aggrieved Nigerian youths driving the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
The protests, which have swept across the states and the Federal Capital Territory, aim to address issues such as poverty, high cost of living, and demands for better economic conditions.
Despite court orders restricting protests in some states and the capital, the demonstrators have continued to gather, calling for the reversal of certain government policies.
In an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, Falana emphasized the need for the government to stop disrupting protests and instead engage with the aggrieved parties.
He stated, “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.'”
Falana further stressed the importance of identifying and engaging with the genuinely aggrieved protesters.
He said, “The government must now begin to identify those who are genuinely aggrieved and then begin to engage them, ‘what are your complaints?’ So that people will have a sense of belonging.”
Additionally, Falana called on police operatives to provide adequate security cover for the protesters nationwide, ensuring their safety and right to peaceful assembly.
