U.S officials visit Osinbajo, want those responsible for shooting at protesters held accountable

A senior official of the United States Government, Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbühl, on Thursday met with the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja over the current situation in the country.

The meeting, which also had Assistant Secretary Robert Destro and Assistant Secretary Denise Natali, in attendance, was held to raise U.S. concerns about ongoing violence in country, human rights, religious freedom, and trafficking in persons.

According to a statement by the spokesman of the US mission in Nigeria, Morgan Ortagus, the delegation wanted to hear from senior Nigerian Government officials how the issues are being addressed.

Counselor Brechbühl, while expressing the U.S. condemnation of the use of excessive force by military forces who fired at unarmed demonstrators in Lagos, expressed condolences to the victims of the shootings, urging the Nigerian government to abide by its commitment to hold those responsible accountable under the law.

Both Vice President Osinbajo and Counselor Brechbühl agreed that the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are essential human rights and core democratic principles.

They also emphasized the importance of U.S. and Nigerian collaboration on common goals of improving security cooperation and strengthening economic partnership to foster mutual prosperity.