Nigeria: “You have failed, Mr. President”

Without even waiting for the end of the speech of President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military coup, 77 years old, Nigerians rushed to social networks to comment on every word of the leader who spoke for the first time since the start of the uprising. popular that strikes his country, particularly the South and its gigantic economic capital Lagos.

And the least we can say is that the head of state has been inflexible. He warned protesters that he “would not allow anyone or any group to endanger peace and national security”, in a speech that was widely followed by some 200 million Nigerians.

The protesters singled out

“Resist the temptation to be used by subversive elements to cause chaos and kill our young democracy,” he called after the bloody crackdown on Tuesday, October 20 of peaceful protests in Lagos, a city of 20 million. inhabitants and epicenter of the protest, which outraged the country and the international scene. In short, almost all of the responsibility for the escalation of violence lies with the protesters.

“The result is clear to all observers: human lives have been lost; acts of sexual violence have been reported; two large penitentiary establishments were attacked and convicts released; public and private property completely destroyed or vandalized; the palace of a peacemaker, the Oba of Lagos was violated, said Buhari annoyed, the so-called demonstrators have invaded an international airport and disrupted the travel plans of our Nigerian compatriots and our visitors ” , alluding to the company Delta Airlines which has canceled three flights these days to Nigeria.

On Tuesday evening, the army and police fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters, killing at least 12 and injuring hundreds in Lagos, according to Amnesty International, and a total of 56 people have died since the movement began.

Buhari tells the international community to wait

Washington, but also the African Union, the European Union and the UN have condemned this violence and called for those responsible to be brought to justice. The president thanked them, however inviting them “to wait to have all the elements in the hands before judging”.

He himself made no comment on the killing, but regretted having “shown signs of weakness in accepting the […] demands made by the demonstrators ”to reform the police.

The protest movement that began two weeks ago against police violence has gradually turned into an uprising against the power in place accused of bad governance.

After this “bloody Tuesday”, as outraged Nigerians immediately called it, Lagos plunged into chaos, supermarkets were looted, shots were fired in this town, where two prisons were attacked, before the police are regaining control.

In Lekki, the district of Lagos, where the army fired Tuesday evening on a thousand demonstrators, the soldiers had regained control of the streets and maintained order at the end of the afternoon. The situation was calm around a large shopping center that was totally destroyed.

Disappointed and shocked Nigerians

Critics are raining down on social media. “No condolences to the families, no words about the Lekki massacre, or promises of justice, nor has he presented a coherent plan to end the crisis. He must go ! »Writes this Internet user in anger.

Another, a bit bitter, launches: “If the president has to speak, tell him to do so at 9 pm, because, for the time being, we have no electricity at home. “Some Internet users attack members of the president’s team” Bashir. Honestly before God. Are you satisfied ? Honestly. You are an educated man. Does it impress you? Would you want your kids to live with that kind of president? You can DM me, between you and me ”, writes this Nigerian addressing Bashir Ahmad, the video assistant of the communication service of the presidency.

For the People’s Democratic Party, “President Buhari’s long-awaited speech on the protests shaking the nation is disappointing and completely out of touch with the realities of the tragic events that have taken place in our country over the past two weeks. Its leaders, our party and, indeed, all peace lovers in our country, were shocked that the President had ignored the violence against the demonstrators. ”

“Now they know what we are capable of,” one of the young people still present at the scene and still angry told AFP. “We won’t believe their bullshit anymore. We are just hungry, we are tired, ”he said, his voice hoarse.

A warehouse where thousands of bags of food were stored for distribution to poor households affected by the coronavirus pandemic was also looted, according to the Lagos State government. On videos posted on social networks, we could see hundreds of men and women carrying white bags stamped with the acronym “Covid”.

“Dear young compatriots of #EndSARS, I feel obligated to let you know that nothing in this disconnected speech from our president invalidates the great progress you have helped our democracy to make in the 12 days that you have led a most effective peaceful protest in Nigeria ” , assures this other Nigerian on Twitter.

A sensitive government would have been modest enough to admit its guilt, as clear evidence shows that the massacre was planned. But Buhari continues to insult the protests and abuse people’s rights to say no to a system that has made the country the world seat of poverty. The AAC is not disappointed, because the regime has shown that it is devoid of conscience and sticks to its avowed fascism. We know that the Buhari regime hates democracy and is determined to force Nigeria into war ”expressed Oshioks Philips, national secretary for the organization of the African Action Congress.

Among these many negative comments, a few stand out to greet the Head of State’s speech. “Whenever I see President Buhari, I see hope, I see integrity, I see resolution, I see solution, I see the true Democrat, I see charisma, I see national consciousness, I see the passion and, above all, I see Nigeria indivisible. May God bless Muhammadu Buhari ”, enthuses a certain Aliyu Muhammad, immediately set on fire by the tweeters who replied to him under his message.

A government under pressure

Nigeria, the first economic power on the African continent thanks to its oil, is also the country with the largest number of people living below the line of extreme poverty in the world.

President Buhari, a former putschist general in the 1980s democratically elected in 2015 and 2019, a Muslim from the North known for his austerity and firmness, held a defense council in the afternoon with “all the security agencies of the country ”.

His special adviser for security had assured the Nigerians that he was going to propose “solutions” to end the crisis.

Questioned in the killing of Tuesday evening by witnesses and NGOs, the police and the army deny any responsibility.

But videos of the shooting showing soldiers firing real bullets over a crowd waving flags and singing the national anthem at the Lekki toll had been widely relayed on social media, sparking outrage. .

The International Criminal Court (ICC) affirmed “to follow closely the incidents on the sidelines of the protests in Nigeria”, in a statement Thursday. “We have received information regarding alleged crimes and we are watching the situation closely, in case the violence escalates,” said Attorney General Fatou Bensouda.