Yoruba World Congress (YWC) led by Emeritus, Prof Banji Akintoye, said the group is horrified by Tuesday’s military attack on peaceful protesters in Lekki area of Lagos State, resulting in many deaths and many others injured, describing it as unwarranted, while calling on the international community to reject such attack as well.
Akintoye in a signed statement made available to Tribune Online, on Wednesday, said the Yoruba nation of 55 million population condemns the attacks in the strongest terms, urging the international community to note that this attack was yet another evidence of the low level to which Nigeria had descended in insecurity, disrespect for human rights, civil rights, and dignity of life.
“All Yoruba people at home and in the diaspora are horrified by the military attack on a peaceful protest in Lekki, Lagos State, last night, resulting in many deaths and many injuries.
“We as a nation condemn the attacks in the strongest terms. We Yoruba nation, a nation of 55 million population in Nigeria called on the international community to reject this unwarranted attack, and the killing and wounding of many youths engaged in a manifestly peaceful protest on our land in Nigeria.
“We ask the international community to note that this attack is yet another evidence of the low level to which Nigeria has descended in insecurity, disrespect for human rights, for civil rights, and dignity of life,” he said.
The YWC leader, however, noted that the clear message from the sad development was that Yoruba people needed to demonstrate their unity, purposefulness and resolve as a nation, adding that they needed to immediately banish all signs of disunity among them “as a people and inside and between our many civil organisations.”
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“We need to unite to confront together the obvious danger that threatens our Yoruba nation in Nigeria. We need together to clarify our nation’s goal, and we need to unite to chart the path to the peaceful negotiations that will take us to our goal,” he said.
The elder statesman expressed YWC’s deep sympathy with the families of the young persons who were killed or wounded in the attack, saying efforts must be made to ensure that “their blood has not been shed in vain.”
“We assure all our youths who have been protesting peacefully in the past few days that we commend them for the very orderly and sophisticated management of their protests,” Akintoye said.
“We are very proud of them. We will take whatever lawful steps that we may consider necessary and appropriate over this situation,” he assured.
#EndSARS: Military attack on peaceful protesters in Lekki unwarranted, says Banji Akintoye-led YWC
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