ABUJA, Nigeria (CWBN)_ In light of series of attacks and intimidation of those protesting against the notorious Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), British law makers debated the requirement for individual sanctions against the governing regime, including travel bans, freezing of assets and the suspension of training for the Nigerian police.
The debate was conducted following a petition with more than 200,000 signatures, which was submitted by writer and student activist with the University of London, Silas Ojo.
“The Nigerian government needs to stop freezing bank accounts of key protesters; it needs to stop illegal detentions of key protesters. The Minister of Information for the Federal Government went on record to state that the CNN reporting of the massacre is fake news. This is undemocratic conduct.” MP Kate Osamor said, referencing an investigative report conducted by CNN.
The report claimed that police and army personnel shot live ammunition at peaceful #EndSARS protestors near Lekki’s toll gate, killing and injuring many. It also claimed that a number of protestors who were present during the shooting have been reported missing.
Nigerian authorities went so far as to threaten sanctions against the news network for propagating “fake news”, however, CNN responded that they will stand by their report.
Osamor also claimed that the British Government has continued to train SARS personnel even as several prominent human rights advocacy groups, including Amnesty International, claimed that disbanded SARS members continue to engage in extra-judicial killing of civilians.
Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas of the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office, Wendy Morton, noted that the government was aware of the reports of intimidation against protestors and civil society groups, and that the “the British Commissioner in Abuja continues to raise our concerns […] with the Nigeria government”.
She added that it was against standard practice to speculate over sanctions.
Edited by Elishya Perera
