The special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, does not agree that the looting that marred the peaceful #EndSARS protest across the nation is a reflection of the people’s anger and hunger.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, on Thursday, October 29, Adesina said criminality is criminality. According to him, it is just like justifying armed robbery because of poverty. He said:
“Criminality is criminality. Would it justify armed robbery because the man was poor? Would it justify armed robbery because the man didn’t have money? Just as you cannot justify armed robbery because a man was poor and took a gun to rob another person, you can’t also justify the lootings that are going on. It is pure criminality.”
The presidential aide is of the opinion that the nationwide protest is to blame for the looting in various states. He said what happened in the last two or three weeks provided the atmosphere for the looting of warehouses and shops and the destruction of properties.
Adesina noted that if police stations were not burnt down, there wouldn’t have been a breakdown of law and order. He stated:
“If there was cohesion and tranquillity in society, this wouldn’t happen. Therefore, it was corollary to the mere anarchic situation that came on the country because of the protests. If you didn’t have people burning police stations, killing policemen, burning private and public property, you wouldn’t have this spate of looting.
“But because a situation was created for near anarchy, that is why you this. So, I don’t agree it is all about poverty.”
He added that those looting were not necessarily hungry but only taking advantage of the breakdown in law and order that came as a result of the protests.
