Hundreds of Nigerians in the UK rallied in front of the British Parliament in London Wednesday, as widespread international condemnation of the shooting of peaceful protesters in Lagos on Tuesday night grows.
The protests, bigger than previous ones held in the city, was organized by #EndSARKSUK and began at the Nigerian High Commission.
Angry protesters waved #Endsars placards and chanted “Enough is Enough,” demanding justice for the lives lost at Lekki Toll gate.
A group broke away and marched towards Trafalgar Square, calling for justice.
“I’m so devastated right now,” a female protester told Arise News. “It’s more than SARS right now. SARS was just the trigger,” she said, referring to the rogue police unit whose alleged human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings set off anti-policy brutality across Nigeria early October.
“Buhari, wake up and behave like a father! How can you let your children be shot?” another protester asked. Many Nigerians in the country and abroad have called on President Buhari to address the nation in the wake of the killings.
The UK government has not officially reacted to Tuesday night’s attack but Arise News has reached out to the British Foreign Office for a statement.
Earlier, the UK announced the closure of its visa application centres in Nigeria.
“Due to the ongoing protest in Nigeria and for the safety of both staff and applicants, our Nigeria centres will be closed for 48 hours at a minimum”, the UK said in a statement.
Nigerians in major cities around the world have been rallying around the #EndSars movement since it began, including in New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Toronto and Geneva.
Rita Osakwe
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