-By Simbiat Bakare
“Sai Baba!” “Sai Baba!!” The youth chanted on the street as they
campaigned for Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 thinking they had met their
political-Moses who would give them a better life; a change from the
miserable one they were accustomed to. Little did they know they were
campaigning for a political-Lucifer, who would deliver nothing but death
and more suffering to their doorstep.
On Nigeria’s independence anniversary in October 2020, Nigerian
youths, seeing the country wasn’t better since the white oppressors
left their land sixty years ago, dared to confront their black
oppressors – the Nigerian government. Many youths in different parts
of the country, comprising of vocal women and men, ranging from
Millennials to Generation Z, demanded for an end to the notorious
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force,
while also requesting an end to bad governance.
With sheer determination, from both online and on-ground protesters, the
movement gradually gained the attention of the world, and more-so, the
Nigerian government.
The protest was met with abrasiveness from the Buhari-led government as
the administration reluctantly disbanded the SARS unit and immediately
replaced it with a unit tagged SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), which
comprised of the same corrupt, callous police officers the youth had
been protesting against. The government also sabotaged the donation link
– in care of the Feminist Coalition – Nigerians and sympathisers had
been using to donate funds to sustain the protest, and also hired thugs
to disrupt various peaceful demonstrations.
However, on October 20th, 2020, something more brazen happened.
Something no Sai Baba campaigner could have foreseen — Buhari and his
cohorts premeditated the execution of Nigerian youths.
While the bravest among the Nigerian youth continued exercising their
democratic right, the protest to #EndSars, at one of the famous and most
peaceful ground – the Lekki toll gate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the
governor of Lagos State and a member of Buhari-led administration,
ordered a curfew on the State. The Governor, who was aware that serious
traffic usually plagued Lagosians, announced a curfew by 12 noon to be
effected from 4:00 pm same day.
Within the same period, lights at the Lekki toll gate, a venue that had
never known darkness –and had become a home where many protesters
exercised their civil right to protest, formed new friendships, lifted
their banners, placards and flags as they asked for a better tomorrow
– suddenly went off.
So as the youth raised their voices to the sky, singing the national
anthem patriotically as the day parted way for the night, the army,
under the care of the commander-in-chief Muhammadu Buhari, opened fire
on the patriotic, gallant, peaceful protesters, murdering countless
youths and injuring many more.
Around the same time, at about 7:00 pm, as bullets tore through the
flesh of the Nigerian youth, and fire from the semi-automatic guns
formed sparks in the gloomy cloud, the governor of the state announced
that the curfew had been reviewed to take effect from 9:00 pm.
With the assassination, #LekkiMassacre, already carried out, security
officers who operated in Lagos State further carried out #LagosMassacre.
They sprayed bullets on Lagosians in their streets, and one time,
security officers were caught on camera shaking hands as dead bodies hit
the ground.
Buhari, brazen in the murder of Nigerian youths, offered no apology nor
explanations, rather his speech, made on the evening of Thursday,
October 22nd, 2020, directed veiled threats and warnings to the youth if
they dared to protest again – an action that is their constitutional
right. His deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, offering no
explanations either, simply pretended that the murders were of natural
causes.
From the East to the West, to the South, and Northern part of Nigeria,
the land is soaked with the blood of innocent Nigerians through death
championed by the Buhari-led administration and perpetuated by hired
government thugs, the Police, the Army, and security officials. This
also includes deaths caused by terrorist groups that Buhari and members
of his administrations has refused to stop.
When Nigerians chose to give Buhari a chance to become president in
2015, little did they know they were giving power to an indifferent
blood-thirsty scaremonger who would be responsible for their death, the
death of their loved ones, and who would not only refuse to recognise
their humanity, but would threaten to hurt them more.
Beyond the murder that has become the highlight of Buhari’s
administration are the lies. One of the many lies told was by the
governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who lied on live TV that
there were no fatalities in the #LekkiMassacre despite overwhelming
evidence showing otherwise.
Another was told by the Nigerian Army, who labelled news that the army
was involved in #LekkiMassacre as false, despite thousands of witnesses
and pictorial proof. Also, Defence spokesperson, Maj. Gen. John Enenche,
further lied that the #LekkiMassacre never happened, rather the
overwhelming video evidence were “photoshopped”.
More lies were told. The minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajia Farroq
Sadiya, another member of the Buahri-led administration lied that there
is hardly anyone in Nigeria that had not received COVID-19 palliatives.
In truth, millions of Nigerians never received the palliatives. Some of
the food items meant for the masses and should have been distributed in
May 2020 were discovered in October 2020, where it was hidden at a
warehouse located in an area in Lagos State popularly called Monkey
Village.
The Buhari administration promised an end to corruption. This couldn’t
be farther from the truth. In the premises of the Oba of Lagos, Oba
Rilwan Akiolu, wads of dollars were discovered, reportedly hidden in a
coffin.
However, the greatest lie told was when Buhari promised “Change”,
promised reduction in fuel price, money to unemployed citizens, 24-hour
electricity, security, and many more.
In a gory testament of his administration, Buhari cried to become
Nigeria’s president only to lead a team that lie, disregard, and
murder Nigerians.
_Simbiat Bakare is an expert in communications. The author of the Book:
Love in Hell, Simbiat’s creative contents have been published in
Malimbe Magazine, Ekocity Magazine, The Nation, Virtue Digest, The Ready
Writers, Kobo, Amazon, Sons of Issachar Concepts amongst others. Aside
from being a writer, Simbiat is a feminist. She loves travelling and
reading fictional works of intellectual writers. She can be reached via
email at: __livelyhoodwithsimbiat@gmail.
Regards,