Engage Our Youths, Don't Kill Them - ASUU

The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU) was shexked to receive reports of violent attacks on protesting youth under the aegis Of "EndSARS", Killing and maiming a number of them, in Lagos and other States in country. At the Lekki Toll Plaza on Tuesday, 20th October, 2020, light was switched Off while armed security operatives swooped on the peaceful denunstrators who kept vigil at the venue.

We condemn in strongest terms government's handling of the Lekki incident. The repression and killing of any citizen for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights to protest is unjustifiable and criminal.

We call on the Federal government to get to the roots of the crisis and ensure that justice is done and to have been done to all victims of the dissent into brutality and murder.

ASUU fully identifies With Nigerian youth in exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and non-violent protest. Cumulative reports attest to the reckless, unguarded, and anti-people activities of the now-defunct Special Anti Robbery (SARS) arm Of the Nigeria Police Force.

From all indications, SARS had become an instrument Of oppression; intimidating. extorting and killing innocent youth and on trump up charges. Those Who the SARS experience tell gory tales. Mere name-change of the killer-organisation (SARS) is therefore not enough to erase the deep-rooted impression of by a security outfit supported With tax-payer.

It will certainly not end the cruel murder perpetrated by SARS now changed to Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT).

ASUU notes with regrets that Nigeria has not grown beyond the conquest-subjucation orientation of colonial rule evident in police and military brutalisation of the civilian populace.

Any approach to security that ignores the existential need of the citizenry - economic, social, cultural — is tenuous. Indeed, Nigeria's approach to security will endure only when it evolves within the prism of the fundamental objectives
Nigerian State which situate security in the deep bowels of welfare and good life for the citizenry.

Since we published how to save Nigeria in 1984, ASUU has not ceased to condemn Nigeria's dependence and weak position within a declining and crisis-ridden
world capitalist system. We have drawn attention to the presence of a local exploiting class whose members collaborate with foreign exploiting firms to steal Nigeria's wealth and transfer it abroad. Among the major causes of the current situation is the stealing on a massive scale by foreign and Nigerian contractors, politicians, distributors and commission agents Who do contribute to production. These and other exploitative and rent seeking tendencies have, cumulatively, precipitated the intractable crisis engulfing virtually all regions of the country.