There are obvious reasons why the #Endsars movement may not be the long awaited revolution, if any would ever happen in my generation.
Beyond the spontaneity that trailed its awakening, it suffered a larger deficit in conception, structure, strategy and tactics, and events of the last few days have proven so. The grounds have now shifted to arson, jailbreak, looting and other forms of criminality, including agony and death for innocent persons whose causes were thought as being advanced by the agitators.
With the 5 for 5 demands rising to seven and more, subsequently opening a floodgate for a disingenious call for regime change, there was no better way to predict a self-destruct, as the movement failed to critically situate the cause within a clearly predefined, identifiable and realistic mission.

So, this wasn't going to be easy on both sides. Dealing with a generation whose ideas of "constituted authority"is since liberated from the compelling mysteries we once knew; government's bigger challenge from the onset, was innovation and strategy. So, like the protesters, whose leadership remain inorganic and their model weakened by inadequate or poorly articulated strategy; the authorities they are standing up against have proven to be complementary to them in mutual failures, from the pictures emerging from Lekki in Lagos.
Why was it so clearly predictable that, the authorities, just as the protesters, will not end any differently from how events have finally unfolded?
How is it that, before the onslaught, there were heads up signalling it: allegations of transmitters being turned off and CCTV devices being dislodged at the Lekki Toll gate. Then a curfew, and then soldiers on a shooting spree, after. The morning after, even an enforced curfew has not tamed anarchy. NPA, TVC, BRT garage, among other vital assets have been targetted.
Some of us knew well enough, ahead of time that, the protests, however well intended, will be hijacked by hoodlums, rebranded by ulterior elements, appropriated by anarchists, and then fizzle out from the aftermath of the full weight of sustained lethal force by the machinery of state authority. We knew the last part well enough, because our authorities do not know or have a better approach to response over civil disobedience with lesser consequence. Sadly, our tradition of "popular" mass agitation overtime suffers poor conception in planning, consensus building and exit strategy. NLC, the Nigerian umbrella labour body has painfully been identified with this weakness.

The tough lessons to be learnt stare us all. I fear that, the protesters, for all the good intentions that may define their original engagement, may have lost a golden opportunity in the pursuance of this noble cause on our behalf. I fear that, government may have lost a unique opportunity to affirm its civility by its failure to bring novelty and innovation to bear on civic engagement, particularly in crisis response. It is preposterous to solve this with avoidable deaths.

Protesters under any guise, including the shielding by criminals, cannot carry on with unbridled violence, breakdown of law and order and threat to life. Even where proven to be genuine agitators, there is no wisdom in crossing the red line to test the will of government. More importantly, there is more wisdom in restraint on both sides, where threat to life is prevalent.

The failure on both sides affirm us. We pray more than we act, and whereas acting from a knowledge base will yeild more wins, we appear to be condemned to base, wilful indiscretion, made complicated by our many contending faultlines.

It will be noteworthy to hear from the Lagos state Governor how his proper handling of this issue from the onset suddenly took a new turn. It will also be assuring to evolve proper status briefing by the military over yesterday's incidents. Influencers and arrowheads of the #Endsars also need to do an immediate reevaluation of the eroding credibility of the struggle, including immediate debriefing of frontline agitators for strategy overhaul.

No life is too cheap to waste.

WHEN THE PROTESTS MATURE TO FULL BLOWN ANARCHY NOTE THE FOLLOWING ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW AND LOVE:

1. ```The 14 to 45 year old males will be bearing arms directly whether or not they like it. About half of them will die within the first year of conflict. At least 30% of females in this age range will be raped and probably killed.```

2. ```The bulk of 0 to 13 year olds will grow up as orphans. 10% will be killed in the first year and another 50% will perish from neglect in subsequent years.```

3. ```The population above from 46 to 65 years will have their dreams finally destroyed and will die out rapidly from lack of a will to survive the hardship and stress.```

4. ```The population above 66 years will have no support to survive and will die slow lonely deaths, some through starvation and neglect.```

5. ```Crime rates will multiply ten fold given the unbridled access to arms and ammunition. There will be no safe havens given current trends.```

6. ```Life expectancy will drop to 21 years from the current 47 years.```

7. ```If the conflict lasts longer than one year the worlds largest refugee problem would have been created. Nigerians will flee into Niger,Togo, Ghana, Chad, Benin Republic and Cameroon. A one way journey for most as these countries are completely unprepared for the potential influx of humiliated Nigerians.```

8. ```Through CNN, Aljazeera, SABC, BBC and other media houses we will become the global laughing stock with no idea of what next to do.```

9. ```Present day uncompromising voices will run away to safety. Shamelessly so. The afore mentioned victims will be drawn from ordinary folk.```

*No one (North, South, East, or West, Christian, Muslim etc) will be immune.*

*BETTER TO TALK PEACEFULLY,_EVERY ARTICLE OF RELATIONSHIP AS A NATION CAN BE NEGOTIATED PEACEFULLY._*

*NON-PARTISAN WARNING.*

okay