MOB ACTION AND THE CAMOUFLAGE OF THE ENEMIES.

By:

Shehu Bashir Esq.
Twitter: @shehufaa

There is no doubt that the now receding protest turned riot could not have been seen to be executed completely in good faith, at best, we can say not all the voices who spoke in support, those who did the town crying for people to join actually did so for the good of the police shortcomings they want the government to correct.

So far, we have observed that many interest groups took the best advantage to execute their hidden agenda to the best of their criminal, hypocritical and mischievous satisfaction.

I got a random post from a friend and I want to seek the permission of the writer to allow me make specific reference to some of the submissions therein, which I agree with. According to that piece, there are different categories of people with different agenda protesting or supporting the protest in the name of #EndSARS and they are:

1. "The hardworking Nigerians who are tired of police brutality & bad governance.

2. The thieves, yahooboys & kidnappers who want SARS to end so that they could have more freedom to operate.

3. The Biafrans who want the protests to escalate into a revolution so that Nigeria will come to an end.

4. The gay and lesbian group, they are using it to claim their rights

5. Politicians without portfolio, getting broke and need to get back into office to steal

6. Rivalry party groups, failed election and are disgruntled

7. Those looking for power by force. Thinks if this government ends they stand a chance of getting appointment

8. Desperate ethnic and religious bigots. See the president as Hausa fulani and Muslim and don't want him to succeed

9. Jobless Nigerians. Think its the government that is stopping them from making it.

10. Those attracted by free food. There has been free supply of food, drinks and drugs at the venue and they don't care the reason for the protest

11. Those that have been fed with lies about the government or SARS". End of quote.

Without any iota of sentiment or bias, while agreeing with the submissions above, we can also safely add that the protest was joined by:

1) Armed robbers who used the confusion to orchestrate the burning down of police stations, carting away police arms and tons of ammunition in the process..

2) Jealous and envious ethnic bigots who were interested in targeting certain individuals whom they perceive as political enemies. The aggravated attacks on Asiwaju Tinubu and subtle attempt on his life is a pointer to this argument.

3) The seditious deviants who hate President Buhari and his administration so much and fantasised that the protest was a golden opportunity for them to topple a democratically elected government.

4) Ignorant opportunists who taught it was fun to join a protest, break into people's shops, loot their properties and cart away anything in the process. Most of these looters didn't even understand the weight of the crimes they were committing as they were gladly showcasing what they looted, dancing before a camera, recording themselves on videos and expressing victory.

5) The hasty "judges" who are as inexperienced as their inanity, hurriedly justifying the looting of government warehouses where some food items were kept, but forgetting that their puerile endorsement of that ignominy energised these criminals to descend on innocent private business owners.

Interestingly, sadly though, all those whose main intentions were not the pursuit of genuine cause for ending police brutality and/or call for Police reform are beginning to see that, the whirlwind they blew in evil is now torpedoing beyond their mouth oxygen. The canterkerous mob are now also using the opportunity to pounce on them and or their associates in reverse other. No one could have expected this will turn this way. As it is, no one is save, not even initial "gra-gra" so-called celebrities. It's an unfortunate ignorant fueling of anarchy.

It is important to emphasize that alot of people might not have agreed with the administration of President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo, particularly Mr. President on the way he handles some things in his administration - his reaction time, prompt discipline of erring officers, sanctioning of non performing appointees, etc, it is not enough for anyone to think the best option to solve these perceived problems is to bring down the country in flame.

The truth is, unlike what we have witnessed in the past, some of the die-hard supporters and admirers of President Buhari, even those within the APC fold have constantly spoken up "sorosoke" fearlessly anytime they observe any infraction in government or suspicion of it without being unnecessarily bitter and vile in their criticism. If anything, they like to engage their own government when things are not being done the right way. I am one of those who don't pretend all is well. So, healthy criticism is not a crime as long as it is not a censure. What we witnessed in this protect was more or less a camouflage enmity hidden in different calabash of evil agenda.

I do not mean to scare all of us but we have to brace up for tougher times ahead in terms of security - there are now more guns in the hands of criminals than it has ever been. The rate of armed crime is most likely going to increase and the lives of ordinary, innocent citizens are going to be at risk. We can only keep vigil, pray to God, report suspected moves, trust law enforcement agencies and never think the Police is useless.

I have said in the past, whenever there is an observation of an omission in discharge of official duties by any institutions of government, it is only reasonable to call for reforms and not repeal; there is no institutions of government that can't be reform, their absence however will always be counterproductive.

There is no doubt this protest has been exploited by many enemies in different ways and it is across board - friends betraying friends, the over ambitious desperate politicians who care more about their political grip than the survival of the nation, some political agitators who are hell-bent in stopping a certain individual from contesting presidential election in the next general elections, a former political office holder whose tenure wasn't devoid of gross human rights abuses now chanting hosanna for "peaceful" protesters, the ignorant and uncoordinated social media imaginists who wanted to increase their social fame by fanning the embers of the morbific protests, the criminals who used the occasion to rob and loot, the murderers who used the chaos to revenge against the Police, to kill innocent Police officers and members of other security agencies. The count is endless.

There is no doubt lessons have been learnt on both sides - the government and the people - friends now know themselves better while the hidden faces of insidious enemies have been exposed by this twilight. The government must have noted how better service delivery in terms of good governance can help prevent social agitations such as this, they must have also learnt how to be more sensitive to the plight of the people and in quick time. The public must have also known that it is not all that glitters that is good, not all calls for social action are truly genuine, progressive and altruistic; many are criminally inclined and always end in regrets. For both intended and unintended consequences of this incident, lessons have been learnt. I can only hope that we are better of after this unfortunate turn of events.

Let us all work together to build a workable, peaceful, fair, just, egalitarian and habitable nation that guarantees sustainable common comfort and Justice.