Hassan Zaggi
Chairman Crime Correspondents Association of Nigeria

By Festus Fifen.

The Crime Correspondent Association of Nigeria (CCAN), has expressed concern over the manner and way the #EndSARS protest that began as peaceful has, in the past few days, become violent and bloody.

According to a statement by the Abuja Chairman of CCAN Hassan Zaggi, the Association is deeply concerned because the lives of young energetic and promising Nigerians are being wasted unnecessarily.

According to the statement, the ugly incidents of gruesome killings and maiming of Nigerians in the Abuja city centre, Dutse Alhaji, a surbub in the FCT, Lagos and other parts of the country is worrisome.

in his words, ” We have even seen in some cases innocent police officers were molested and beaten, leaving them with severe injuries.

” We are also worried because properties worth millions of naira belonging to Nigerians who have nothing to do with the protest have been destroyed and burnt down.

” As Crime Correspondents who are at the forefront of monitoring the protests, this, indeed, is not what we expected.

” We suspect that the peaceful protest has since been hijacked from #EndSARS protesters, hence, the need for the government to intervene.

” While we commend the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, for the steps taken so far in an effort to manage the situation, we call for more discreet and professional handling of the recent turn of events.”

CCAN also calls on other security agencies to be professional in handing the situation so as to ensure no one is killed while exercising his/her right to peaceful protest.

Mr Zaggi used the medium to call on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to trigger their investigative skill to identify those who take advantage of the peaceful protest through killings and destruction of properties belonging to Nigerians.

He added that findings from the protesters across the country indicated that the issues around the #EndSARS protest are multifaceted, hence, are beyond the Nigeria Police Force.

He therefore used the medium to call on President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to respond quickly to issues raised by the protesters in order to persuade them to keep calm.