Former gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election in Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye, has warned security operatives against assaulting protesters.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Dino Melaye expressed his dissatisfaction with the actions of security officers. He urged them to abolish such lawless activities, noting that the country’s situation affects everyone, including the security operatives themselves.
“We all go to the same market, same filling station, and spend the same naira. Police and other security agencies have no special market or special filling station. Treat the people with respect. After all, they are your cousins, brothers, sisters, sons, or relatives,” he stated.
There have been numerous reports of Nigerian police and other security operatives assaulting and maltreating protesters demonstrating against the high cost of living in Nigeria. Some protesters were allegedly gunned down on Saturday in Kano State after the EndBadGovernance protest turned violent.
In another incident, Michael Lenin was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja after the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, directed protest organizers to submit their details, proposed routes, and assembly points to the commissioners of police in their respective states.
On Friday, security forces fired tear gas to break up protests in Abuja, resulting in the imposition of curfews across several northern states.
Dino Melaye calls for immediate action to ensure that peaceful protests can be conducted without fear of brutality.
