#EndSARS protesters are rogues and thieves – FG

Bashir Magashi, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence has said over 60 percent of those who participated in the #EndSARS protests don’t know why they participated in the demonstrations and that some of them are rogues and thieves.

Magashi said this after participating in the revalidation exercise of the All Progressives Congress in Kano on Saturday, February 13.

“There is a basic responsibility of the government, and that is to protect every Nigerian, whoever he is. We always believe that given the necessary intelligence, no agent of government will sit down and fold its hands without doing something.

This #EndSARS issue, if you recall, the minister of information has briefed this nation and alerted that something like this is coming; and we know we are always prepared. This is our job, to ensure internal security.

We must plan for it. We don’t want to be taken by surprise. And if you want us to be taken by surprise, then, there is no need to call us protectors. If #EndSARS is to take place today, we will ensure that we have peaceful counter plans that we will put in place to ensure that mistakes are not made in protecting the people.

You know the composition of the #EndSARS crowd. Over 60 percent of them are people who don’t even know why they are there. They just come to take part. Some of them are rogues; some are there to steal. They want to do whatever they think. There are a few actual people (among the protesters).” he said.

An investigation by Nigerian-based Newspaper – Premium Times, reported that Magashi as army officer was engaged in illegal oil crude oil allocation and funds from trade in tune of $550,000 at Jersey UK, branch of Bank PNP Paribus.