Former President Goodluck Jonathan has sued for peace appealing strongly against bloodshed as a result of the ongoing EndSARS protests.
His words: “My heart goes out to the families of young Nigerians who have lost their lives in the past days as a result of #EndSARS protests. May God grant them the fortitude they need at this difficult time.
“It has been a difficult time for me as well.Nation-building is a collective task that involves the genuine efforts of all patriotic citizens, old and young.
“Our country cannot afford to lose the lives of our youth whom we expect to take over leadership and continue our nation’s journey to greatness.
“As leaders, we must understand that a nation can never win a battle against its own people. Thus, the use of deadly force against citizens only aggravates tense situations rather than assuage them.
“We must therefore move away from battlegrounds to middle grounds in our individual and national life. This, I believe, epitomises the essence of democracy.
“I condemn any unnecessary loss of life and urge efforts to be stepped up to ensure that there is no such re-occurrence.
“We all must accept that we are all brothers and sisters of one Nigeria, and always act towards one another accordingly.
“I urge protesters to protest with caution. I further call on our security forces to avoid the use of deadly force against non-combatant citizens and ensure maximum restraint is applied in carrying out their constitutional responsibilities of preserving and protecting the territorial integrity of our dear country, in particular, the lives and property of all Nigerians.
“I urge all citizens to continue to have faith in Nigeria, and to be circumspect in our actions, law-abiding, and peaceful in our engagements.
“As I have always said, nobody’s interest is worth the blood of any Nigerian citizen, or indeed any citizen of the world. Human life is sacrosanct.
“Dear young Nigerians, I urge all to give peace a chance, especially now that different stakeholders have demonstrated the willingness to investigate the various allegations of excessive use of force on citizens and address the culture of impunity by security personnel.
“I believe that it is time to sheath the sword. It is time to build the nation.”
Earlier on his Twitter page on Tuesday, he had appealed that peaceful protest should not lead to loss of lives of protesters.
He called for restraint by protesters and security agencies as Nigerians protest against police brutality and demand police reform.
“I implore everyone to exercise restraint as we walk through these challenging times.
“No Nigerian blood needs to be spilled or life lost during a peaceful protest that seeks to advance our country.
“We may hold different views on national issues, but there is no doubt that most people desire the same thing for Nigeria: a place where we can all live out the full potential of our God-given abilities.”
