The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, says it could take years for Lagos to fully recover from the wreckage of the crisis. The governor made the remark during a solidarity visit to Lagos State over the recent violence that broke out after unarmed #EndSARS protesters were shot at by soldiers.
He said the cost of rebuilding the state would bring discomfort to residents and citizens whose businesses are tied to the peace in Lagos because of the quantum of destruction done.
Zulum compared the style of the destruction of key Lagos assets to the manner with which Boko Haram carried out attacks on public utilities, saying it could take years for Lagos to fully recover from the wreckage.
“While we strongly condemn any form of brutality by the police in any part of the country, we also condemn what has happened in Lagos. The destruction was engineered to hurt this blooming State and its economy. We condemn the excesses of the youths who took to violence to express their grievances. There was no need for the violence when the authorities had already conceded to their demands.”
The governor urged young people across the country and in Lagos to always use non-violent means to express their grievances, pointing out that destroying infrastructure meant to serve the public shouldn’t be an option in public protest.
He said governors had been working with the federal government to ensure victims of police brutality get justice and compensation.
Sanwo-Olu said the attacks had not weaned away Lagos’ ability to turn around its misfortune to opportunities, hinting that the state would come out stronger and better.
He particularly expressed appreciation to his Borno counterpart for identifying with Lagos, despite being faced by security challenges.
