The United States (US) has threatened to impose an arms embargo on Nigeria over alleged violation of human rights and laws in Africa’s most populous country.
The US Secretary of States, Antony Blinken, stated this while speaking during an interview session with the CNN International.
Blinken, who was recently in Nigeria to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari warned that his country might invoke the Leahy Laws against Nigeria if the allegations of rights violations in the country are found to be credible.
This threat is coming on the heels of the submission of the report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters to the Lagos government.
Recall that the panel led by Justice Doris Okuwobi, in a 309-page report, leaked, confirmed that series of investigations conducted on the #EndSARS protests of October 20 revealed that military personnels deployed to Lekki toll plaza shot at protesters.
The report also said at least nine persons lost their lives during the military invasion.
Reacting to the report after the meeting with Buhari, Blinken said US was anticipating the response of the Federal Government, as well as the Lagos State government on the report.
“We anticipate and look forward to the state and the federal government’s response to findings and address the grievances of the victims and their families,” Blinken had said.
Speaking further on the report, the US Secretary of State said several petitions bordering on human rights violation in Nigeria have been received, adding that the country is conducting its investigation.
He stressed that should allegations of human rights violation be true, US could invoke the Leahy Laws against Nigeria.
The Leahy Laws prohibit the US Department of State and Department of Defence from providing military assistance to foreign security force units that violate human rights with impunity.
In his words, “But a couple of things are really important. As I said, the report itself, done by the state government, but then once it’s out, for there to actually be action on the basis of the report, action as necessary by the states, action by the Federal Government, and action in the sense of two things.
“First, making sure that based on what is documented to have happened, it won’t happen again – so there may be reforms that are necessary – and building or rebuilding trust between the citizens and the security services, between citizens and the state. That is an obligation of both the state government and the Federal Government.
“Second is accountability. If there are individuals that – as it emerges from this report – who are responsible for committing abuses, there has to be accountability in terms of those individuals. That too is vital to rebuilding trust between citizens and the state and the security services.
“If there is genuine transparency, accountability and change that follows from these incidents and from these abuses, I think that’s very important not only to our administration, it’s important to Congress in making judgments about continuing to provide assistance to the security forces.”
