Efemena kelly Umukoro
President of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Youthwing, Worldwide, Comrade Efemena Umukoro, has said that the youth body is not in support of a planned protest for tomorrow, adding that they condemn the move and will not join in the action to call for the release of Nicolas Makalomi, the brain behind the viral ‘EndSARS’ video in Ughelli.
In a press statement, the youth leader said: “The apex youth body of Urhobo youths globally got information of a planned protest tomorrow for the release of Nicolas Makalomi.
He said: “It is important to state that as leaders, we are privy to information and most times we do not pass all we know to members of the public.
“We have been able to get in touch with Nicolas Makalumi, who gave us a clear detail of what happened that day which was contrary to the video he sent online.”
He continued: “As a union we are not blind to the cybercrime law of Nigeria. The law that was signed during the regime of President Goodluck Jonathan. Having the idea and the knowledge of the law, we towed the part of peace to negotiate with the police to get a bargain whereby our constituent will be released to us unconditionally.
“As an ethnic group, we don’t cover criminality. As the oldest cultural group in Africa, we believe the information we have gotten and are negotiating to see how we can release him.
“It suffices me to state that is it the sole responsibility of UPU Youthwing Worldwide to negotiate, advocate and represent the interest of Urhobo youths. We, therefore, cancel any purported protest tomorrow as the protest is capable of destroying our earlier plea bargain with the police.
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“We believe some persons without proper knowledge of what happened have decided to thwart our efforts by planning a protest tomorrow 9th of October, 2020.”
According to him, UPU Youthwing has since distanced itself from the tommorow protest.
“We condemn it; It is ignorantly planned,” he opined.
“Whatever consequences that comes out from tomorrow’s protest, we shall not plead or stand for anybody,” he said.
He added: “The fact of this case is it was not SARS that made the arrest on that day. Our constituent said it was SARS. Our constituent also agreed that Ambrose Joshua jumped from the car. But, in his own video, he said Joshua was shot. Joshua was not shot. I have gone to the hospital to see him.
“So it is all fake news. Also, our constituent said Joshua was dead. But in the right sense, Joshua is still alive. We visited Joshua.”
Speaking further, he said the said misinformation has caused chaos in the country within the past 2 days, saying that as a people, they have equally condemned the act of the police for not protecting the youth because he if he was well protected all these would have been avoided.
“We condemn the protest; we are not part of it and we advice parents to call their children to order tomorrow. Anyone who goes out for that protest is on his or her own.
“As an ethnic body, we are not involved. We are telling all security agents to take note of this,” he stated.
