The United States of America has expressed concern about the ongoing violence in Nigeria following the degeneration of the #EndSARS protest.
The position of the US Government was stated on Thursday at a meeting of its delegation with Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), in Abuja.
According to the spokesperson of the US Mission in Nigeria, Morgan Ortagus, the US delegation to the meeting was led by Counsellor T. Ulrich Brechbühl as part of a previously scheduled delegation, which included Assistant Secretary Robert Destro and Assistant Secretary Denise Natali, to raise US. concerns about ongoing violence in Nigeria, human rights, religious freedom and trafficking in persons, and to hear from senior Nigerian Government officials how they are addressing those issues.
Brechbühl expressed the US condemnation of the use of excessive force by military forces who fired on unarmed demonstrators in Lekki area of Lagos State.
He expressed condolences to the victims of these shootings and urged the government of Nigeria to abide by its commitment to hold those responsible accountable under the law.
The Vice President and the Counsellor noted that the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are essential human rights and core democratic principles.
Brechbühl and Osinbajo emphasised the importance of US and Nigerian collaboration on common goals of improving security cooperation and strengthening economic partnership to foster mutual prosperity.
