Senior officials of the United States Government on Thursday met with
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and expressed displeasure over the shooting
of unarmed protesters at the Lekki toll plaza on Tuesday.
The US also demanded that the soldiers behind the shootings must be brought to book.
The
Spokesperson for the State Department, Morgan Ortagus, said in a
statement that the officials were led by Counselor of the US State
Department, Ulrich Brechbühl.
Others at the meeting include: Assistant Secretary Robert Destro and Assistant Secretary Denise Natali.
The
officials, according to the statement, raised concerns over the ongoing
violence in Nigeria as well as human rights violations and human
trafficking.
The statement read in part, “Counselor T. Ulrich
Brechbühl met with Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo today in Abuja,
Nigeria as part of a previously scheduled delegation, which included
Assistant Secretary Robert Destro and Assistant Secretary Denise Natali,
to raise US concerns about ongoing violence in Nigeria, human rights,
religious freedom, and trafficking in persons, and to hear from senior
Nigerian government officials how they are addressing those issues.
“The
counselor expressed the US condemnation of the use of excessive force
by military forces that fired on unarmed demonstrators in Lagos. He
expressed condolences to the victims of these shootings and urged the
government of Nigeria to abide by its commitment to hold those
responsible accountable under the law.”
According to the
statement, Osinbajo as well as the counselor noted that the right to
peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are essential human rights
and core democratic principles.
“Counselor Brechbühl and Vice
President Osinbajo emphasised the importance of US and Nigerian
collaboration on common goals of improving security cooperation and
strengthening economic partnership to foster mutual prosperity,” the
statement read.
The Nigerian Army had on Wednesday denied that soldiers were at the toll plaza despite video evidence showing soldiers shooting.