Former president Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the “use of
deadly force” on #EndSARS protesters in Lagos state.
In a statement on Thursday, Jonathan said such actions will
only worsen the situation, calling on all parties to embrace dialogue.
Nationwide protests against the now-dissolved police special
anti-robbery squad (SARS) metamorphosed into agitation for improved governance
in addition to justice for victims of police brutality.
On Tuesday, soldiers shot at the young protesters while they
converged on the Lekki tollgate.
Twelve people died in the shooting and in a related
development in Ikeja, according to Amnesty International.
In the statement shared with TheCable, the former president
said the event of recent days “has been a difficult time to me as well”.
He said the task of building a nation must involve both the
old and the young, adding that Nigeria “cannot afford to lose the lives of our
youth who we look up to take over leadership and continue our nation’s journey
to greatness”.
“As leaders, we must understand that a nation can never win
a battle against its own people,” he said.
“Thus, the use of deadly force against citizens only
aggravates tense situations rather than assuage it. We must therefore move away
from battlegrounds to middle grounds in our individual and national life. This,
I believe, epitomises the essence of democracy.
“I condemn any unnecessary loss of life and urge efforts to
be stepped up to ensure that there is no such reoccurrence.
“We all must accept that we are all brothers and sisters of
one Nigeria, and always act towards each other accordingly.”
Jonathan, who added that “nobody’s interest is worth the
blood of any Nigerian citizen,” asked security agencies to ensure maximum
restraint is applied in carrying out their constitutional responsibilities of
protecting lives and property.
He also asked young Nigerians to “give peace a chance
especially now that different stakeholders have demonstrated the willingness to
investigate the various allegations of excessive use of force on citizens and
address the culture of impunity by security personnel”.
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