Nigerian Diaspora Lecturers Condemn Violence, Destruction At Hunger Protests
The Association of Nigerian University Lecturers in Diaspora UK and Campaign for Democracy (CD) UK have strongly condemned the recent escalation of violence and destruction during the hunger protests in Nigeria.
President of the association, Abdullahi Akeem Ahmed, expressed outrage on Sunday, over the stealing, killing, maiming, and burning of private and government properties in states like Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, and others.
Ahmed, who doubles as the President, Campaign for Democracy, UK, described the behaviour as “callous, irresponsible, and lacking in civic education”.
The lecturers emphasised that the destroyed properties were built with taxpayers’ money and hard-earned funds, and called on the government to take immediate action to stop the senseless destruction.
They urged the federal government to protect the lives and properties of innocent Nigerians from the protesters and their hidden agendas, and to safeguard the country’s democracy.
In a statement emailed to one of our correspondents in Kaduna on Sunday, Ahmed said, “The Association of Nigerians University Lecturers in Diaspora UK & Campaign for Democracy (CD) UK condemn in it entirety the recent trends and dimensions the current hunger protest in Nigeria is taking, the whole scenario had snowballed into stealing, killing, maiming violence and burning of private and government properties and investments in various states like Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and other states of the federation.
“This is callous, irresponsible and lacking in civic education by the protesters, the government properties and infrastructures destroyed are built with taxpayers money for the benefit of all citizens, the private businesses destroyed are put together with their hard earned money and in some cases got bank loans, this madness and senseless destruction must be stopped immediately by the government security agencies.
“The freedom guaranteed by democracy is not to cause arson, mayhem, violence and destruction of properties but to put people at liberty to contribute to the development of the country and not to caricature our hard earned democracy.
“We therefore call on the federal government to take urgent necessary steps and action to safeguard the lives and properties of innocent Nigerians from the hands of these protesters, monsters and their hidden agendas.”
