President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, over his warning to security agencies to refrain from using lethal force on protesters.
It would be recalled that Atiku issued a statement on Tuesday, August 6, warning that there would be consequences for those who authorise the use of lethal force against peaceful civilian protesters as they would be held responsible for committing crimes against humanity even after they must have retired.
Onanuga, however, disagreed with Atiku. He pointed out that his warning should have been to the looting mob in Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and Jigawa States.
He said the looters hijacked what was advertised by organisers as a peaceful protest.
The presidential aide insisted that the security forces had exercised professionalism and restraint in the face of extreme provocation by the protesters.
Onanuga said it was a surprise that Atiku was relying on Section 40 of the Nigerian constitution (as amended) to justify a protest that had become a riot and a rampage in some parts of the country.
He argued that the right of assembly and the right of freedom of expression were not absolute and could be abridged and fettered in the interest of public peace, public safety, law, and order.
The special adviser said the Service Chiefs had done well to re-emphasize that Nigerians had a right to protest and gather freely.
He said they had only reinforced their constitutional duty when they said they could not sit by idly and watch hoodlums destroy the country and its democracy.
He accused Atiku of being a supporter and enabler of the destructive ‘protests’ and ‘certainly wants the sinister protest to continue in spite of the red signals from the streets.”
Onanuga urged Atiku to borrow a leaf from opposition figures in United Kingdom, according to him, had rallied behind the government to condemn the ongoing riots in the UK.
He said oppposion figures in the UK had called for the prosecution of those behind the wanton destruction of public and private assets in the country.
He said such nationalistic temperament was expected of Atiku.
