#EndSARS: Nigerian footballers John Ogu and Odion Ighalo condemn the government

Nigeria midfielder John Ogu has raised alarm with respect to the unrest in Nigeria amidst protests against police brutality, and the ongoing violence in the commercial capital Lagos. He is asking Nigerian players to boycott their upcoming games to make a statement of their stand on the issue.

Nigerians have been demonstrating nationwide for weeks against a police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), who had for years been accused of extortion, harassment, torture and murder of Nigerians.

The unit, however, was disbanded on 11 October but a Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit was announced on 13 October 2020 to take its place. The protests persisted and rights group Amnesty International said soldiers and police killed at least 12 people in Lekki and Alausa.

The army denied soldiers were at the site of the shooting.

“There are games coming up and if we boycott these games I’m sure they’ll know we’ve made a statement … I believe most of my colleagues understand where I’m coming from,” Ogu tells the BBC.

“What’s the point in representing the country if this is what the politicians, the people we’re representing, can do to us? I feel like this is the best thing to do now until they get back to their senses and listen to us.”

WE WANT A GOOD GOVERNMENT, THE POLICE BRUTALITY TO STOP, WE WANT THE SARS TO STOP, WE WANT THE KILLINGS TO STOP, WE WANT GOOD LAWS, WE WANT JOB OPPORTUNITIES.

Also, Odion Ighalo, who plays for Manchester United of England condemned the Nigerian government and said he is ashamed of the government, following reports that soldiers opened fire on protesters in the Lekki district of the commercial capital Lagos on Tuesday, 20 October 2020.

The Nigerian Army, however, denied the claims despite protesters saying they shot at them and filmed the event live via social media application Instagram.

Ighalo, in a video message shared on Twitter, said that while he rarely talks about politics, he would never stay silent about events back home in Nigeria.

“The Nigerian government, you guys are a shame to the world for killing your own citizens, sending the military to the streets to kill unarmed protesters because they are protesting for their own rights? It’s uncalled for,” he says.

“You people will be remembered in history as the first government to send the military to the city to start killing their own citizens. I am ashamed of this government, we are tired of you guys and we can’t take this anymore.”

Ighalo called on the UK government, world leaders, and the United Nations to step in.

“They will keep killing if the world doesn’t talk about this,” he adds.