Odion Ighalo
Manchester United player and Nigerian footballer, Odion Ighalo, has criticised the Nigerian government following the shootings and massacre of unarmed protesters on Tuesday evening at the Lekki toll gate
He tagged them a disgrace and killers.
There have been ongoing protests in Nigeria over two weeks with citizens agitating for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, over flagrant disregard of their human right.
However, that took a grief-stricken turn in Lekki, Lagos state on Tuesday night as defenceless protesters were gunned down by soldiers, following an alleged order by the Lagos state government to security forces to crackdown on defaulters of a hastily imposed restriction.
The shooting led to the death of several people as many were also injured.
Security operatives had stormed the scene of the protest after the Lagos Government announced a 24-hour curfew and opened fire, with the intent to kill many people.
As many turned up to social media to share the Live video clips of the tragic incident, many people could be seen with various degrees of injuries. The scale of the damage could not be ascertained.
Reacting to the sad turn of events, Ighalo condemned the shooting by the security operatives which led to the death and injury of several protesters on Tuesday evening at the Lekki toll gate.
Ighalo Said;
“I’m not the kind of guy who talks about politics, but I can’t keep quiet anymore for what is going back home in Nigeria,” Ighalo said in a video tagged ‘Pray for Nigeria’ on Twitter.
“I would say the Nigerian government are a shame to the world for killing your own citizens, sending the military to kill unarmed protesters because they are protesting for their own rights? It’s uncalled for.
“Today, the 20th of October, 2020, you people will be remembered in history as the first government to send the military to the city to start killing your own citizens.
“I am ashamed of this government, we are tired of you guys and we can’t take this anymore.”
“I’m calling the UK government and all those leaders in the world to see what is going on in Nigeria and help the poor citizens. The government are killing their own citizens,” he continued.
“We are calling you guys in the United Nations (UN) to see to this matter. I want to tell my brothers and sisters back home to remain safe, be indoor and please don’t come out because these government are killers and they will keep killing if the world don’t talk about this. God bless you all and remain safe. One Nigeria, we move!”
Watch him speak below;
Pray for NIGERIA🇳🇬✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/V7i4Ngs9qd
— Odion Jude Ighalo (@ighalojude) October 20, 2020