Reno Omokri, a social media influential and former aide to the former president Goodluck Jonathan, in a post condemned Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state and Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education for speaking out against the inhuman treatment of the 124 malnourished, ill-treated Endbadgovernance protesters arraigned in Federal Court Abuja Yesterday.
The defendants were alleged to have been involved in violent protests in different states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kano, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Zamfara during the #EndBadGovernance protest, which occurred between August 1 and10.
In the charges signed by Simon Lough, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, the prosecution further alleged that the defendants incited the military, Russian and other Western governments to topple the democratically elected government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, “using Russian flags and those of other countries in a violent protest”.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants, without permission, violently armed themselves with dangerous weapons, with which “they attacked and killed some security officers in their lawful duty while calling for the suspension of democracy and removal of the president of the Federal of Nigeria.
Among the 76 defendants arraigned on Friday, 32 of them were minors between the ages of 14 and 17 who have been in detention for three months were obviously ill-treated, malnourished and hungry looking.
However, Omokri criticized Ezekwesili and Obi of hypocrisy, claiming that they refused to speak out when victims allegedly suffered unjust death in the hands of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist and self-determined movement based in old eastern region Nigeria, with the primary goal of re- establishing an independent state of Biafra.
He pointed out that the malnourished minors are alive even if all they have suffered are injustice unlike the people killed in the eastern part of the country whom he emphasized that the former governor and former minister has refused to speak for.
Omokri labelled Obi outcry as ‘crocodile tears’ and backslapped Ezekwesili for saying that Nigeria democracy has plunged down the hill and is under threat.
According to the former aide: “The detention of underaged persons in harsh conditions is to be condemned, and I urge a speedy investigation into the issue.
“If Peter Obi and Oby Ezekwesili are really concerned about children, how come they did not speak out like this when a pregnant Harira Jubril and her four underaged daughters, Fatima, 9; Khadijah, 7; Hadiza, 5; and Zaituna, 2, were killed in broad daylight by unknown gunmen suspected to be IPOB members in Onitsha, Anambra State, on May 22, 2022.” He questioned.

“Now Peter Obi is shedding crocodile tears, and Oby Ezekwesili is saying Nigeria’s “Democracy has degraded to this barbaric depth”. But at least these children are very much alive. Why was our democracy not under threat to Oby Ezekwesili when Harira and her children were killed in Anambra?
“If Nigerians care to cast their minds back, they will recall that Peter Obi refused to speak on the killing of pregnant Harira and her children for almost a week until I criticised him. And Oby has refused even to acknowledge the murder to this day.
“Oby and Peter Obi are just grandstanding and politicising a tragedy. If it happens in Igboland, they will not speak. But they will start dancing naked in the street and coup-baiting if it occurs in the North or Southwest.” Omokri criticized the duo

By Adeoye Olorunseun Elizabeth
adeoye.o@thesubstancenews.com
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