By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Advocacy (LEAD) Network, says the destruction of public and private property is condemnable and must be discouraged in all forms of protests.

The Executive Director of LEAD Network, Mr. Chukwuma Okenwa, said this in a statement issued on Sunday in Enugu on the nationwide #EndSARS protest that turned violent during last week.

Okenwa, on behalf of the group, appealed to young people across the country to exercise restraint and engage dialogue in pressing on the government to meet their genuine demands.

He said that as a youth-focused organisation, LEAD Network stands in total solidarity with the #EndSARS movement in its genuine demands of reforming the police, ending police brutality, seeking justice for victims of police brutality amongst others.

“The LEAD Network is utterly dismayed by the unfortunate incidences that have trailed the #EndSARS protests across the country.

“We particularly condemn in strong term the unjustifiable shooting of unarmed protesters by Nigerian military forces at the Lekki toll gate plaza and the civil unrest that has spiraled across the country afterwards.

“We hereby call on the government to ensure that everyone who played a role in the Lekki massacre is brought to justice while adequate compensations should be given to families of victims.

“The protection of lives and property remains a core responsibility of the government.

“Therefore, government must do all that is within its constitutional powers to ensure that the lives and property of Nigerians are protected at this time.

“Efforts should be intensified by security operatives in de-escalating the rising tensions across the country with due considerations of the human rights of Nigerians,” he said.

Okenwa noted that “it is indeed a trying time for our nation”.

“We must be strong together and eschew all acts that threaten our peace and unity,” he added.

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