Use of bullets, tear gas against protesters abuse of power – Wole Soyinka

Following the continued EndBadGovernance protest, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has said President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide speech failed to address the continued deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management.

Soyinka faulted the use of bullets and tear gas on Nigerians protesting against economic hardship, calling such actions abuse of state power.

He remarked in an article titled “The Hunger March As Universal Mandate.”

Since August 1, some aggrieved Nigerian youths have been protesting against the Nigerian government in what is tagged EndBadGovernace protest.

Tinubu bowed to pressure and addressed the nation, stressing that he was pained by the protest against his government.

However, Soyinka said hunger protests are not peculiar to Nigeria, adding that the nation’s security agencies should adopt alternative models and civilised advances in security intervention.

The article reads partly: “My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short.

“Such short-changing of civic deserving, regrettably, goes to arm the security forces in the exercise of impunity and condemns the nation to a seemingly unbreakable cycle of resentment and reprisals.

“Live bullets as state response to civic protest—that becomes the core issue. Even tear gas remains questionable in most circumstances, certainly an abuse in situations of clearly peaceful protest.”