#EndSARS: Leaders Have Fallen Short - Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has urged religious leaders to stop egging the youths on to protest, stating that they had "fallen short of expectation".

The minister issued the warning on Monday at a forum organised by NAN.

Nigerians continue to protest across the country against police brutality.

Despite the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a controversial police unit that sparked the protest, Nigerians say that the issues bedeviling the nation surpass the disbandment of the unit.

The minister had said that the Federal Government would not allow the protest to devolve into anarchy, stating that there were more "civilised" ways to conduct a protest.

Mohammed said, “Leaders should stop instigating the protests because that could lead to anarchy.

“The protests are turning violent, unfortunately many of our leaders are fallen short of expectation.

“Rather than advise these youths, they have been instigating them and this is very disappointing.

“All leaders, opinion, religious, political, including traditional rulers, should be very careful in their interventions.

“They have the right to intervene and a lot of them have huge followership, but they should not incite; they should proffer solution not to complicate the matter on ground.

“They should emphasise that the protest is genuine and that the government has listened. They should let the youths know that everything the government has promised will be fulfilled.

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“We are talking of the very existence of the country because some people are using the genuine protest to seek an end to democracy and representative government.

“We are talking of a protest that has descended into orgy of violence, looting, killing and attempted assassination of a state governor.

“A protest that led to hoodlums taking over the whole city of Benin, releasing inmates and setting Police stations ablaze.

“This is not what any leader should support or instigate the youths to continue with.”