The Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Advocacy Network (LEAD) has condemned the destruction of public and private property by hoodlums pretending to be #EndSARS protesters.

Thugs were reported to have taken advantage of the protest against police brutality and extrajudicial killings, with police accusing people ‘posing’ as protesters of looting weapons, and torching police buildings.

Executive Director of LEAD, Chukwuma Okenwa, urged Nigerian youths to engage government through dialogue while making genuine demands.

Okenwa, who affirmed his solidarity with the #EndSARS protesters, urged the government to be proactive in responding to their demands.

‘The LEAD Network is utterly dismayed by the unfortunate incidences that trailed the #EndSARS protest across the country’, he said in a statement.

‘Government must do all that is within its constitutional powers to ensure that lives [sic] and properties [sic] of Nigerians are protected at this time.

‘Efforts should be intensified by security operatives in deescalating the rising tension across the country with due considerations of rights of Nigerians.

‘We must be strong together and eschew all acts that threaten our peace and unity’.

Protests, with hashtag #EndSARS, were triggered by the alleged killing of a young man by operatives of SARS in Lagos on 03 October.

SARS, which was specifically set up to fight robbery and kidnapping, has long been accused of harassment, unlawful arrests, torture and killings.

The police unit has been dissolved but protesters are demanding a complete reform of the police force, and prosecution of erring police officers.

Source: LEAD

Photo source: LEAD Network