Former President Goodluck Jonathan has broken his silence on the protest against police brutality in the country, warning that no Nigerian’s blood should be spilled.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Jonathan who described the protest as peaceful said the move would advance the cause of Nigeria.
“No Nigerian blood needs to be spilled or life lost during a peaceful protest that seeks to advance our country,” he said.
“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. I implore everyone to exercise restraint as we walk through these challenging times.”
Jonathan’s remarks followed the series of protests by thousands of youths have been protesting against police brutality, harassment and killings by policemen across major cities since last week.
As part of measures to reform the Nigeria Police, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, ordered all personnel of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to report to the force headquarters in Abuja for debriefing, psychological and medical examination.
While the time-frame for the medical evaluation has not been disclosed, the IGP said that the officers are expected to undergo the process as a prelude to further training and reorientation before being redeployed into mainstream policing duties.