EndSARS: UK lawmaker kicks against funding corrupt Nigerian security agencies

Obinwannem News EndSARS: UK lawmaker kicks against funding corrupt Nigerian security agencies

A member of the United Kingdom parliament, Kate Osamor, during a debate of the #EndSARS crises, asked the country to reconsider funding “corrupt” Nigerian security agencies, saying it does not benefit ordinary Nigerians.

Obinwannem News gathered the debate was conducted following a petition, started by Silas Ojo, which garnered over 200,000 signatures; crossing 100,000 signatures needed for a petition to be discussed the floor of the parliament.

During the debate which was specifically based on the #EndSARS crisis, the MP said UK government should instead focus on poverty alleviation programs.

The debate by members of the Petitions Committee, which took place at the Westminster Hall, kicked off with Theresa Villiers, a member of the British Conservative Party who served as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2019 to 2020.

She specifically lambasted the Nigerian government for aiding the disbanded special anti-robbery squad (SARS) over their illicit operations towards Nigerian citizens, including peaceful protesters.

Osamor said, “Today, we need to consider how the government responds to both the movement itself and the violent actions of the Nigerian regime.

“We must also take this opportunity to look beyond sanctions into how development funding is spent in Nigeria.

“Instead of funding corrupt security agencies and investing in projects which do not benefit ordinary Nigerians, we need a new focus on poverty relief and anti-corruption programs.

“At the very moment in which Amnesty International had declared SARS units to have been involved in extra-judicial killings, corruption and torture, the government was using the budget to train and equip those units.”

Nwada Ugochinyere Onyechere reporting, Obinwannem News

leave a reply

WP Radio
WP Radio
OFFLINE LIVE