End SARS Protests May Increase COVID-19 Cases, NMA Warns.

The Nigerian Medical Association has warned against looming outbreak of second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country in the light of the continued #EndSARS protests. The NMA raised the alarm in Ibadan Oyo State on Monday, during a conference on the Physicians’ Week 2020 with the theme, Strategies for Health System Recovery During COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.’ The state Chairman of NMA, noted that the protesting youth had been on #EndSARS/#EndPoliceBrutality rally for several days at flagrant disobedience to the COVID-19 protocols. According to him, while the struggle is just, the development comes with attendant danger for the country as no nation is immune to COVID-19. He said, “All over the country, there is protest going on, #EndSARS or #EndPoliceBrutality by the Nigerian youth. For NMA, an injury to one is injury to all. We have seen the brutality meted on innocent Nigerians by SARS as well as some police whom, we would say, are not well cultured. “They would not have their facts but they would see people carrying laptops on the road and just assume that the person is a criminal or must have been a thief for him to wear good cloth, carry laptop or use an exotic phone. I don’t think that is an offence. As doctors, knowing very well that COVID-19 is very well with us, during rallies like this, we know that gathering together could worsen the pandemic which we had worked tirelessly to bring down. We advise protesters that while trying to make their grievances known to government, they should as well observe the laid down protocols.