• Assures of justice for victims, urges governors to set up Trustfunds
Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has broken his silence on the #ENDSARS protests a week after calls intensified for government commitment to reforming the Nigerian Police Force.
He appealed to protesters to allow government regain their trust.
Prof. Osinbajo who wrote in a series of tweets on Friday assured Nigerians that several steps were being taken to redress many of their grievances, which he said were clearly beyond disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
He wrote: “Dear Nigerians, I know that many of you are angry, and understandably so.
“We could’ve moved faster and for this we are sorry. I fully understand how many young people feel.
“Many feel that we have been too silent and have simply not done enough. These feelings of frustration are justified.
“There are far too many people who have been brutalised at the hands of the police and this is unacceptable.
“We must take responsibility for protecting young people, even sometimes from those who are paid to protect them.
“Over the past week, we have been following the protests, and I have had a number of discussions with key people in the administration that you deserve to be informed about. Transparency, after all, is a key tenet of government.”
Osinbajo noted that efforts are presently ongoing such as the setting up of judicial panels of inquiry so that justice can be served fast.
While sending condolences to the families of Jimoh Isiaq and all those who have lost their lives at the hands of ‘wayward police officers’, he said state governments have been urged to set up a Victims’ Support Fund, which the Federal Government will support to compensate for the injustice suffered at the hands of ‘errant officers’.
