U.S. secretary of state talks security, democracy in Nigeria

Nov 19, 2021

U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has urged the Federal Government, depending on the conclusions of the #ENDSARS report to “hold accountable any of those responsible for human rights abuses, and to do that again in full transparency.

Blinken during a joint news conference with Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama noted that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has repeatedly said advocating for human rights and working to improve democracies around the world is at the heart of its foreign policy, even though critics have said promoting human rights often takes a back seat to preserving national security priorities.

Blinken’s trip to Nigeria is coming days after a leaked report said the Nigerian army had fired live rounds at peaceful protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos on October 20, 2020 and described the incident as a “massacre”.

The shootings ended weeks of nationwide protests against police brutality.

Earlier in a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, the U.S top diplomat discussed domestic and regional security, and West Africa’s democratic backsliding, including Abuja’s handling of anti-police brutality protests last year.

Buhari told Blinken that his administration would take a lead from state governments which commissioned the #ENDSARS report.

“Federal Government will allow the system to exhaust itself, and will, therefore, wait for pronouncements from state governments which set up panels to probe police brutality in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari told Blinken.

“So many state governments are involved, and have given different terms of reference to the probe panels,” the President added. “We at the Federal have to wait for the steps taken by the states, and we have to allow the system to work. We can’t impose ideas on them. Federal Government has to wait for the reaction of the states.”