Yemi Osnibajo, Nigeria’s Vice President, has pledged that justice will be served for demonstrators who were killed or injured during protests that have upset the country in recent days. Osnibajo said this in a series of tweets Thursday morning. “My heart goes out to all the victims of the Lekki shootings and also their lives in the past few days in different parts of Lagos and other states,” he said. “I spoke to some of those in hospital. The pain of these terrible events is irreplaceable, but we can and will get justice for all of them.” The vice president’s reassurance follows widespread condemnation of crackdown on protesters who initially demanded police reforms but have since broadened their demands to include reforms to the way the country is run. The ‘End SARS’ protests forced the government to close the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS, but protesters are now demanding for broader reforms. The African Union on Wednesday, October 21, “strongly condemned the violence against anti-police brutality protesters”. Moussa Faki, Chairperson of the AU Commission, urged political and social actors to respect human rights and the rule of law and hailed the disbandment of the loathed branch of the police. He called upon investigators to ensure that perpetrators of acts of violence are held to account.
