OGHENETEJIRI NYERHOVWO/ GODWIN AYOBAMI RACHEAL

Delta Online Publishers Forum(DOPF) has commiserated with families who lost their love ones and the injured persons in the ongoing #EndSARS protest rocking the country in the past two weeks just as it has condemned in very strong terms attacks on media houses across the country.

The Forum in a statement signed by Mr. Emmanuel Enebeli and Mr. Shedrack Onitsha, chairman and secretary respectively of the group stated that the while the Forum wholeheartedly supports the protest as it was genuinely targeted at curbing what had been considered as arbitrary abuse of Nigerians for more than a decade, it however frowns as the protest had degenerated into a worrisome situation as lives and critical infrastructures are been touched and destroyed.

The statement added that unwarranted attacks on the protesters on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos where numbers of persons were allegedly killed and scores injured could had been avoided if the Federal Government had acted on promptly to check the actions of miscreants who took advantage of inaction of the federal government to highjack the peaceful protest.

According to the foremost Online Media practitioners in Delta State, “we mourn with Nigerians over the lives lost in the cause of this protest and we call on the Federal Government to investigate the incident and prosecute in public any of the killer officers.”

The online media publishers added, ” draths witnessed would had been avoided if the government, especially at the federal level has acted proactively and addressed the protesting youths and Nigerians.”

They added, “it’s shameful and annoying that it took the President almost two weeks before addressing the issues at stake,”

DOPF stated further that the loss of any Nigerian life no matter how old cannot be justified by any any reason as such, “the Forum is pained by the death of our youths who’s only offense is asking for good governance.”

The Forum also condemn the reported attacks on journalists, media houses, security men who are performing their lawful duties.

DOPF decried the highjack of the protest by some hoodlums who have abandoned the agenda of the protesters, to start attacking private businesses and State critical infrastructures.

It called on Nigerians to see media houses, journalists, and security operatives as people who are carrying out their lawful duties to inform, and protect lives and properties and therefore, be supported instead of been attacked.

It further called on Nigerians to remain focused on the goal of getting the country to path of greatness, and should not allow the deaths of some of the protesters dim the fire of call to restructure the system of governance in Nigeria.