TheCable

Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna central, says the protest against police harassment and brutality is a message to those in power that a revolution is imminent.

In the last one week, there have been protests across the country over police brutality, especially by the special anti-robbery squad (SARS).

Although Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police (IGP), announced the dissolution of SARS, the protests have continued.

In a statement on Wednesday, Sani said apart from the police, the governance and the country as a whole needs to be reformed.

“The nationwide protests is a message to those in power and authority that a revolution is impending in an atmosphere of social, economic and political inequities and infamy,” the former senator said.

“Even though the trigger of the protest was police brutality, police reforms are not enough to address the underling and provocative factors that compelled the mass of the youths to the streets.

“The political class have for long toyed with the lives and future of our youths who were left with no option but to revolt.

“Systemic plunder and theft of the national resources, mass unemployment, collapse of public education, widening gap between the rich, false and pretentious change mantra and the poor and stupendous and brazen display of wealth by the children of the rich and those in high public offices to the contempt of the children of the poor grievously inflames the anger of the revolutionary youths on the streets.

“The protest by the Nigerian youths have lit up our National space and recharge the conscience of the nation. We must admit the fact that the political class have taken the poor and the downtrodden for granted for long.

“The End SARS protest is conscience in motion. The opposition, the trade unions and the parliament have failed Nigerians until the Youth took their destiny to their hands.

“As long as the government at all levels and the nation will continue to be run for the benefit of the few and their immediate families, this kind of uprising is just the beginning.

“The use of sponsored thugs to attack unarmed protesters in Abuja stands condemned. Thugs cannot and must not stop the wheel of conviction.”

Sani added that “Nigerian leaders” enslave the poor and spit on their children.