The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has commended Nigerians from the northern part of the country, especially the youth, for not actively supporting the #EndSARS protests, and the violence, carnage that trailed the protests.
According to him, if the north had taken part in it, “the story would have been different”.
Youths in the country had protested peacefully for about two weeks against police brutality in the country, and called on government to reform the Nigeria Police Force.
The protest had however taken a different form when soldiers shot at the peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll gate, which had thereafter instigated an orgy of destruction and looting in many parts of the country.
Speaking when he paid a visit to sympathise with the governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday, the Speaker said the destruction caused by the protests was a very sad event that should not occur again in the history of Nigeria.
He said, “I want to also use this opportunity, in a way, to be grateful and commend our brothers and sisters from the North. I said this because if the North had been a part of this, I don’t know if we’ll all be standing here today. That’s why I commend our brothers and sisters from the North”.
Gbajabiamila also said that Nigerians killed before, during and after the #EndSARS protests must get justice.
” A judicial panel has been set up, and I hope those who say this is what happened will have the courage to go before the judicial panel and say this is what happened and give credible evidence. And if that was indeed what happened, then the law must take its course. But if that was not what happened, the law must also take its course. Either way, the law must take its course.
“The governor was telling me just now that it was going to cost about a trillion naira to rebuild Lagos. That makes my heart heavy. And I asked the governor what’s the budget of Lagos State? What are you planning? And he told me that they’re planning a budget of about a trillion naira.
