An Igbo group, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, on Saturday called for an independent investigation into the report of the killing of a 14-year-old girl, by a stray bullet during the Yoruba Nation rally held at Ojota in Lagos State.
COSEYL’s President, Goodluck Item, spoke in a statement to newsmen in Owerri while reacting to the outcome of the Yoruba Nation rally.
The group termed it as ruthless and should not be seen in a democratic government.
They said: “The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, the apex socio-political youth group in the South-East geopolitical zone condemns in strongest terms the ruthless shootings against unarmed protesters by the Nigerian police and other security agents in Yoruba Nation Rally in Ojota Lagos State that led to the untimely death of a 14-year-old hawker by name Jumoke, a yoghurt seller who came out to hawk her goods in other help her parents feed her family.
“It is no longer news that so many families are going to bed on daily basis hungry as a result of the harsh economic policies that made things so difficult for Nigerians. Most families can hardly boost just one meal a day. People are secretly dying because of excessive hunger and starvation in the country.
“The only democracy dividends in Nigeria today are hungry, starvation, killings by murderous Fulani herdsmen/terrorists, massacre by Boko Haram terrorists and ISWAP and food shortage brought by the activities of the terrorists who make it very difficult for farmers who escape been killing by murderous Fulani herdsmen to go to the farm.
“Peaceful protest which is a fundamental human right of all citizens is not allowed in a supposed democratic government. This is the first government since our return to democratic rule in 1999 that punish Nigerians with death for protesting peacefully. Nigeria has gone back to the dark days worst than Abacha military junta.”
“A poor girl who is not supposed to be hawking if the government is doing well has been sent to her untimely grave, what a tragedy! It is very sad that the federal government now send security agents to kill poor Nigerians who manage to escape death at the hands of murderous Fulani herdsmen/terrorists, adverse economic policies and high-level corruption. Nigerians are really in trouble. We demand an independent investigation into the killing of Jumoke who was killed by security agents and her killers brought to justice,” COSEYL said.
