'How Does Damaging Government Properties Concern The Police?' - Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, criticising the havoc that was wreaked by hoodlums in the wake of the #EndSARS protest quizzed, "how does damaging government property concern the police?"

He argued that those responsible for the destruction of properties need to be punished to serve as a deterrent to others.

He said this while assessing the extent of damages done at the headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Amaechi said that the destruction caused by the hoodlums would require government funds to be refurbished.

He said, “If we don’t punish those who caused these damages, others may do it again.

“This is completely disastrous. It is not enough to vent your anger about police brutality in this manner. How does damaging government property concern the police? Whether you like it or not, this will be refurbished or rebuilt with government funds.

"That means the funds also belong to those who have set this place ablaze. Those who commit crime should be held liable and appropriate punishment meted out on them. I was a student from 1983 to 1987, that was a period when the Nigerian students were always out on the streets, we never burnt down anything.

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“The rights to protest is defined in the laws of Nigeria, it doesn’t include burning peoples houses or places, it doesn’t include blocking major highways or minor roads. The law said you should protest by the side of the road, it didn’t say you should protest and block the roads because there are other road users.

“I may not like police brutality and I didn’t protest. It is legitimate to protest but it is illegitimate to take other people’s rights. The rights to protest is defined in the constitution but it does not include burning people’s houses and government properties.”