HURMA led By Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, During A Rally For Reconstruction Of Burnt Police Stations Across Nigeria, Held On Saturday, June 12, In Front of The Burnt Anti-Cultism Section of The Nigeria Police, Gbagada Lagos
June 12: Group Protests Against Non Rebuild Of Burnt Police Formations
Perturbed with the state of Police stations across Lagos State and Nigeria in general, which were set ablaze by #EndSARS protesters last year, coupled with the insecurity in the country, a human rights group, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA) has called on the Lagos State government, as a matter of urgency to quickly reconstruct all the affected police formations across the State.
HURMA led by it’s Executive Director, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, made the call on Saturday during a rally in front of the disbanded Anti-Cultism burnt Station, Gbagada, Lagos.
Speaking on the theme “Democracy, Liberty and Security; Building The Necessary Synergy”, Comrade Buna expressed dismay on how the burnt police Formations were abandoned by the Lagos State government. The situation he said has made the citizens of the State to be living in palpable fear.
Comrade Buna while commending President Buhari for recognizing June 12, as the ‘Nigeria’s Democracy Day’ said: “June 12, is a day to celebrate democracy day. June 12 is historic. This was the day that year in 1993, came out to choose for themselves true representative to represent them, to represent their interest.
“June 12 1993, people came out enmasse to choose the person that they want, someone that will represent the interest of the oppressed masses. We thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that recognized today, June 12, as a day worth celebrating and a day for celebrating democracy called ‘Democracy Day’.
“But then, it is important that we understand what Democracy means. Democracy is about good governance. It’s about balancing the polarity in the society, so that some people will not be fine benefitting from the resources of the general people, while some will be feeling oppressed.
“Now bringing this to present reality, it is important to expressed displeasure at about this place, Anti-Cultism Section of the Nigeria Police in Lagos State. We deliberately chosed this place, because some months back, the place was attacked and burnt ditto some other police formations across the State, by those we can called ‘faceless’, but if we continue calling them ‘faceless’, we are just deceiving ourselves, because the people that carried the attack are not ‘faceless’ they can be traced and identified by State.
“This attack was not on Nigeria Police but Nigerians, because we are the ones feeling the aftermath of the attack.
“We are using this occasion to talk about good democracy, which is about good economy, security of life and properties, balancing the polarity. The present situation in Nigeria is no longer secured, we have hoodlums and miscreants everywhere. That is why we chosed this day to express the fears and agitations of the people from the government.
“Though, the government is workin, but that work is not enough, we expect the government to do more.
“You can’t believe that the current government, the Lagos State for example, why this place (the burnt Anti-Cultism Section of the Nigeria Police) has remained like this and other police stations still in the State of ruin.
“We the Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA) wants to say that we will not allow abandonment of such institutions because we have streets and communities dominated by the hoodlums. People are no longer safe. The people that carried out the attack have their mission, and we will not be convinced that the attack is not supported by the government that if these burnt police stations still remained like this since then, with the Lagos government not done anything to rebuild them.
“We see police as part of government and we see them as human beings like us, we have the oppressed among them. Though, we have criminal elements oppressing the masses among them but we will continue to fight them with the instrumentality of the law.
“As we continue to defend the rights of the oppressed masses, we shall also continue to defend the rights of the police officers. The attacked police Formations was built with tax payers’ money.
“In as much we are defending the rights of the people, we will also stand against any forms of criminalities or any sponsored act of criminalities.
“Parents should warn their children and wards that HURMA will not condone any forms of criminalities. As we are for both sides. We want the government to do the needful, by rebuilding all the burnt police Formations across the State, if it is sincere in securing the life and properties of its citizens”.
The trio of Comrade Bello Bolaji Rasak; Bisi Yusuf; Tomisin O, who are also members of the group equally called on the President Muhammadu Buhari led-administration, to work on the State of employment and the security of the country, which they attributed as the bane of crisis bedevilling the country.