The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has
condemned in strong terms the reported killing of pro-Biafra protesters
by security operatives in parts of the South East.
Ekweremadu made the condemnation at the plenary session of the Senate on Tuesday.
He
came under Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rule to draw the attention
of the Upper Chamber to the bloodbath in the South East region of the
country on Monday.
Over 50 pro-Biafra protesters were killed
across South East States and in Asaba, the Delta State capital, where
two policemen were reportedly among those who died.
The Deputy
President of the Senate further noted that the country had recorded so
much bloodshed in various parts of the country in the past and as such
security agencies must apply caution in quelling perceived disturbances
in any part of country so as to prevent young men and women from being
sent to their untimely graves.
Hear him: “Those of us who had the
opportunity of looking at the papers this morning would know that most
of the newspapers had front page stories of bloodbath in the South-East.
“Yesterday,
I had a number of calls about the disturbing clash between youths in
different parts of the South East, South South and security agencies,
leading to the death of many people; both the young men and security
personnel.
“I
would like to use this opportunity under Order 43 to say that the
security agencies must apply caution in trying to quell disturbances.
“We
have had so much of bloodbath in this country under different
circumstances and we cannot continue to lose our young men because the
future of this country belongs to them.
“It is important that we
rise to condemn any act of killing in any part of this country,
especially the ones that concern the major part of our future, which
remains the young men and women of this country.
“We are now in a
democracy and people should be entitled to speak their minds; to
assemble under responsible and lawful circumstances; and the security
agencies must also be responsible in dealing with those circumstances to
ensure that lives are not lost unnecessarily.
“I wish to bring
this to the notice of the Senate for us to take note and possibly for
the States involved to set up enquiries to find out what led to these
clashes; the number of people lost and to ensure that this does not
happen in the future.”
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