The Democratic Presidential candidate in the upcoming United States election, Joe Biden, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the military to stop the violent crackdown on protesters.
The former American Vice-President said this in a statement titled, ‘Violence in Nigeria – Statement by Vice President Joe Biden’ on Wednesday.
Biden said the United States must stand with Nigerians who were peacefully demonstrating for police reform and seeking an end to corruption.
The statement read, “I urge President Buhari and the Nigerian military to cease the violent crackdown on protesters in Nigeria, which has already resulted in several deaths. My heart goes out to all those who have lost a loved one in the violence.
“The United States must stand with Nigerians who are peacefully demonstrating for police reform and seeking an end to corruption in their democracy. I encourage the government to engage in a good-faith dialogue with civil society to address these long-standing grievances and work together for a more just and inclusive Nigeria.”
In the United Kingdom, lawmakers discussed the killings on the floor of the parliament.
A member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth, Stephen Doughty, who is also the Shadow Foreign Affairs and International Development Minister, tweeted a short video on Twitter saying, “I raised the shocking killings of #EndSARS protesters of Lagos Nigeria Lekki tollgate this morning in the House of Commons with the Minister, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Nigel Adams.
“I am horrified by the reports I am receiving. The UK Government must urgently raise it at the highest levels with Nigeria.”
In the video which is about 39 seconds, Doughty said Amnesty International and former United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, had condemned the killings and the UK must not remain silent despite the robust relationship it has with Nigeria.
No fewer than 150,000 individuals have signed a petition asking the UK to sanction members of the Nigerian government and police force for human rights abuses over the #EndSARS movement.
The petition, which was created by one Silas Ojo, sought to generate 100,000 signatures.
According to information obtained from the website, any petition signed by over 100,000 individuals will be discussed.
Also condemning the killings, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, called for an end to police brutality and attack on #EndSARS protesters.
The UN secretary, who said he was following the developments in the country, criticized the killing of activists, demanding police reforms in Lagos and other parts of the nation on Tuesday.
Guterres in a statement on Wednesday also expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
He called on the authorities to investigate the incidents and hold the perpetrators accountable.
The statement read, “The Secretary-General is following recent developments in Nigeria and calls for an end to reported police brutality and abuses.
“He condemns the violent escalation on October 20 in Lagos which resulted in multiple deaths and caused many injuries.
“The Secretary-General urges the security forces to act at all times with maximum restraint while calling on protestors to demonstrate peacefully and to refrain from violence.”
