Salihu Yakasai, a media aide to Kano State governor has slammed Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari over his management of issues related to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police.
“I’ve never seen a govt with zero empathy like that of Buhari,” Yakasai tweeted with his verified Twitter handle @Dawisu on Saturday.
“So many times when his people are going through difficult time and expect some sort of shoulder to reassure them that he is in charge, but he failed to do so.” The tweet has been deleted by Yakasai.
The now-disbanded controversial SARS police unit was the point of global attention since last Saturday over cases of brutality, extortion, extrajudicial killing and harassment of Nigerians.
Street protests against SARS received a boost from several countries after many celebrities joined the advocacy.
Former vice president Atiku Abubakar and former Senate president Bukola Saraki said on Saturday that SARS has become an oppressor of the people it should protect.
Amnesty International said in a 2016 report that victims of SARS brutality “are subjected to various methods of torture and ill-treatment in order to extract information and ‘confessions’.”
Although the Nigeria police say such acts contradict its responsibility to protect citizens and always issue sanctions to officers but these cases of police brutality persist.
Nigerian youths in thousands led protests in different parts of the country, demanding total scrapping of the controversial police unit. Many of these protests were held overnight, most especially in Lagos State – in front of the state House of Assembly.
President Buhari only reacted to the global advocacy against the misuse of power by the Nigeria Police on Thursday night.
“I am being briefed regularly on the reform efforts ongoing to end police brutality and unethical conduct, and ensure that the Police are fully accountable to the people,” Buhari said in a tweet.
The president’s promise was not relied upon as more Nigerians and the international community joined the #EndSARS protest.
Reacting, Ganduje’s aide – Yakasai said, “This I-dont-care attitude is on another level.”
“To speak to ur own ppl (sic) over issues that are bedevilling them has become something like a favour u’re doing to them,” Yakasai said in a follow-up tweet to the former.
“Over & over again, u cannot spare 5mins & address the nation to calm them down, the same people u went to the 36 states to beg for their votes, its heartbreaking.”
Meanwhile, NAIJA LIVE TV reported that Gov. Ganduje had approved the immediate suspension of Mr. Yakasai for criticizing the President.
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