Protesters warned by president
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has warned protesters not to “undermine national security” but avoided addressing the shooting of demonstrators after days of unrest.
The leader appealed to those taking part in widespread demonstrations to “resist the temptation of being used by some subversive elements to cause chaos”.
“For you to do otherwise will amount to undermining national security and the law and order situation. Under no circumstances will this be tolerated,” he said in a televised speech.
The broadcast was Mr Buhari’s first public address to the nation since security forces were accused of gunning down peaceful protesters here on Tuesday.
But he failed to make any direct mention of the incident that has helped unleash chaos in Africa’s biggest city and fuelled popular ire.
The president shrugged off condemnation from the US, African Union, European Union and Britain over the excessive use of force by the authorities.
“We thank you and urge you all to
seek to know all the facts available before taking a position or rushing to judgement and making hasty pronouncements,” the president told the international community.
The spreading of “deliberate falsehood and misinformation, in particular through social media” was, he said, “a ploy to mislead the unwary within and outside Nigeria into unfair judgement and disruptive behaviour”.
Pictures and videos of shots being fired on a crowd of around 1,000 protesters in Lagos by security forces on Tuesday were widely shared on social media, unleashing a wave of anger towards the authorities.
Protests against police abuse and bad governance were largely peaceful when they began on Oct 8 but violence erupted and escalated in recent days.
Amnesty International said 56
people had died in the unrest across the country.
The president said he was deeply pained that innocent lives had been lost but did not respond to claims that the Nigerian army and police were behind some of the killings.
Instead, he warned those he said had “hijacked and misdirected the initial, genuine and well-intended protest of some of our youths in parts of the country”.
Nigeria, where many live in extreme poverty and where the median age is 18, is a tinderbox of economic and social grievances.
The 77-year-old Buhari called on the youth to “discontinue the street protests and constructively engage government in finding solutions”.
“Your voice has been heard loud and clear and we are responding,” he said.