The Former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga says there can be no excuse for the amount of brutality on unarmed #EndSARS protesters in Nigeria and urged the African Union and Nigerian government to investigate actors of state brutality.
Mr Odinga disclosed this in a statement on Thursday afternoon, he also passed his sincere condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Statement on Police Brutality against protesters in Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/R2X8vor7oP
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) October 22, 2020
“The Police brutality and abuses that have gone on in Nigeria for the last couple of days, leading to multiple deaths and injuries of unarmed civilians are extremely worrying and unacceptable. There can be no excuse for that amount of brutality on unarmed civilians protesting misconduct on the part of the police,” Odinga said.
He added that the brutality that was meted out on the protesters is a reminder of “how precarious and threatened Africa’s march towards democratization, respect for rights and freedoms and the rule of law remains”.
He urged that the continent needs to disembark from the politics of confrontation and violence and engage issues to resolve differences. He also called on the African Union and Nigerian Authorities to “investigate the violence and murders that have gone on and hold the perpetrators to account.”
“Africa and its institutions must stand up for and condemn the brutalization of its citizens at home with the same energy and vigor it responds to the violations of its citizens abroad,” he said.
