Human rights organisations,# EndSARS protesters and lawyers on Thursday reacted to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Mohammed Bello, over the ban on street protests in the FCT.
Human rights groups and lawyers condemned the ban and described it as unconstitutional, null and void also leaders of the movement campaigning for the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police, have dared the FCT administration, saying they would continue the protests despite the ban.
In the meantime, Northern Governors’ Forum on Thursday said northern states were not opposed to SARS. Simon Along, Plateau State Governor and Chairman of the forum, said the squad had been helpful in tackling insecurity in the North.
At the Nigeria Governors Forum, in a communiqué issued after its meeting on Wednesday, said they supported the decision by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to reform the police.
Few hours after the governors met, the FCT Administration, in a statement by the minister’s Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, announced the ban on #EndSARS protests in Abuja for alleged violation of COVID-19 protocols.
According to the statement titled, ‘COVID-19: FCT Security Committee prohibits street demonstrations,’ the decision was reached at a meeting of the FCT Security Committee on Tuesday, chaired by the minister.
