Several members of the United Kingdom Parliament on Monday called for sanctions against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari over the treatment of #EndSARS protesters.
The debate was sequel to a petition started by Silas Ojo which had garnered over 200,000 signatures.
A member of the Conservative Party Theresa Villiers kicked off the debate at the Westminster Hall.
Some of the sanctions recommended on government officials and security agents include visa ban, freezing of assets, and stopping the funding and training for the Nigeria Police Force.
Villiers who represents Chipping Barnet constituency said: “I believe the petitioners have a credible case for the imposition of individualised sanctions such as travel bans and asset freezes.”
She said the UK government must explain its role in training security agents who end up abusing the rights of Nigerian citizens.
MP for Edmonton Kate Osamor described as undemocratic the claim by the Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed that the CNN report on the October 20 Lekki shooting was false news.
Osamor stated: “The Nigerian government needs to stop freezing bank accounts of key protesters; it needs to stop illegal detentions of key protesters. The Minister of Information for the Federal Government went on record to state that the CNN reporting of the massacre is fake news. This is undemocratic conduct.”
Minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Wendy Morton responded on behalf of the UK government.
The MP for Aldridge-Brownhills said the UK government was communicating with Buhari’s Chief of Staff Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the incident.
