BLOOD-STAINED FLAG AT LEKKI: Too Thick To Be Blotted Out(OPINION)

By Isaac Asabor

In October last year, some aggrieved youths, for two weeks, organized a mass action calling for a complete ban of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force. The protests, driven by the harsh tag, #EndSARS rocked cities across Nigeria. The youths were particularly angered by the brutal force and wickedness that characterized the SARS which was set up in the mid-1990s to combat incidences of armed robbery. They were unarguably infuriated as SARS over the years transmuted into a force associated with harassment of innocent citizens, extortion at gunpoint, and extrajudicial killings of suspects.

Unarguably infuriated by the blight which the unprofessional conducts of members of the SARS brought upon the nation’s security architecture, the angry youths, for a period of two weeks, organized protests across strategic places all over cities in the country, and conveyed their collective messages with the hashtag, #EndSARS to the government and police authority. They, throughout the period the protests lasted, embarked on mass action calling for a complete ban of the SARS of the Nigerian police.

Sadly, on the night of 20 October 2020, at about 6:50 p.m., members of the Nigerian Army, as alleged, opened fire on the peaceful End SARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos State, Nigeria. Amnesty International stated that at least 12 protesters were killed during the shooting. A day after the incident, on 21 October, the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-olu, initially denied reports of any loss of lives, but later admitted in an interview with a CNN journalist that “only two persons were killed”.

The Nigerian Army initially denied involvement in the shooting, but later stated that it had deployed soldiers to the toll gate on the orders of the governor of Lagos State. A month after the shooting, following a CNN documentary on the shooting, the Nigerian Army admitted to the Lagos Judiciary panel of inquiry into the shooting that it had deployed its personnel to the toll gate with both live and blank bullets.

Unfortunately, since the sanguinary event occurred, it has been impossible to establish an accurate death toll. Reports from the governments; both state and federal were intentionally vague. Not only that, threats from the governments have compelled newsmen and social media enthusiasts to be watering down press coverages for fear of being slammed on or arrested.  Again, many staunch members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who were ostensibly partisan, denied the massacre had occurred, leaving accounts of the slaughtered to witnesses while reports from the CNN team were misinterpreted to be an affront on the government.

It would be recalled that the protesters took to the streets, peacefully demanding an end to police brutality, extrajudicial executions and extortion by the SARS unit of the Nigerian police tasked with fighting violent crimes. But not everyone was aware that the protesters were met with excessive use of force by the army and police forces on 20 October when the peaceful protesters were reportedly shot dead as the Nigerian Army opened fire on them. An on-the-ground investigation by Amnesty International confirmed that the Nigerian army and police killed peaceful protesters.

In as much as notable massacres are memorialized across the world as a mark of respect for the dead, and given that every year on 9 December, the United Nations marks the adoption of the Genocide Convention, which is also the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, some patriotic Nigerians planned organizing a memorial for Nigeria’s vibrant youths that were mauled and killed at Lekki toll gate, and since they mooted the idea, flurry of warnings aimed at stopping them have been issued; both by the police authority and the governments.

For instance, the Lagos State police command, last week, warned residents of the State against staging any protest in commemoration of the EndSARS protest. The warning was sequel to reports that another protest is about to happen in commemoration of those who lost their lives during the protest.

Reacting, the State Police Command, in a statement released by its spokesperson, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, warned against such protest.

According to him, “Nigerians cannot afford to relive the distasteful experience of last year’s protest which caused pain and loss of properties.”

He warned individuals or groups who may want to stage an anniversary protest to squash the idea or face the full weight of the law.

“The Command wishes to use this medium to warn the youths, groups, or associations planning such protest to jettison the idea forthwith.

“The police in the state will not fold their arms and allow some misguided elements disrupt the peace and serenity currently being enjoyed in the state.

“Also, we will use all legitimate means within our constitutional powers to suppress the planned protest.

“Parents and guardians are advised to warn their children against participating in the planned protest.

“Lastly, Individuals or groups sponsoring such protest are also warned in their own interest to desist from such plans or face the law,” the statement said.

However, in as much as the police has the constitutional rights to ensure security of lives and property of the citizenry it is expedient to recall an African proverb that says “Human blood is heavy; he who has shed it cannot run away.”

Be that as it may, there is no denying the fact the blood-stained flag that highlighted the somewhat genocide has become what posterity will use to symbolize what happened at Lekki tollgate on the night of 20th October 2020. Therefore, not memorializing the ugly event by each passing year from now onward will be a sad commentary on our country. After all, the story behind it is that when soldiers arrived the scene, protesters knelt down pleading and waving the Nigerian Flag as they sang the National Anthem. The shots that reportedly followed stained the flag.

Against the foregoing backdrop, particularly when seen from God’s viewpoint, it is expedient to say that the consequences of spilling innocent blood are dire, whether on the individual, family, community, ethnic group or nation because God hates “hands that shed innocent blood” (Prov. 6:16 – 17). The “hands” include those that are directly involved and those who sponsored or approved the bloodshed. All of them are directly or vicariously culpable before God, as it is written, “You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed…” (Ezek. 22:4).

Shedding innocent blood makes a person or a nation odious and loathsome before God and hinders their prayers. Justifying His fury against the people, God told Prophet Ezekiel, “the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood…” (Ezek. 9: 8 and 9). Despising the sacrifices and prayers of the people, God warned through Prophet Isaiah: “Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; yea when you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood” (Isa.1: 14 to 15).

Peeping into the pages of Macbeth, a Shakespearian Play, after killing Duncan, Macbeth comes to Lady Macbeth with his hands covered in blood. Horrified by his act, Macbeth laments that not even all of “Neptune’s ocean” would be enough to clean his hands. The blood on Macbeth’s hands symbolizes the guilt he feels for murdering Duncan.

Suffice it to say in this context that the spilling of blood on our land, particularly on our national flag at the Lekki toll gate last year is dangerous. It is therefore, expedient to say that the blood-stained flag is too thick to be blotted out. In fact, to figuratively put it, the only detergent that can blot blood away from our national flag is sincere truth and reconciliation from the governments and the police authority.