A self-acclaimed United Nations Peace Ambassador, Hussaini Coomasie, has apologised to Nigerian youths for calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to treat the #EndSARS protesters with an iron fist.
Coomasie had in a video on Saturday, said the protesters wouldn’t have dared to demonstrate under former President Olusegun Obasanjo the way they are doing today.
He had said, “I blame Buhari for taking things lightly. There are certain things that should be handled with an iron fist. Vladimir Putin says you should take the necessary process to deal with irregularities and not due process. There are times due process does not work but necessary process.
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“Whichever way that your country will be in peace, handle it. If the police fail to do what they are supposed to do, bring in the military.”
Following the viral video, however, an online petition was initiated on Change.Org with over 28,000 persons calling on the UN to strip Coomasie of his peace ambassadorship.
However, checks on the website of the UN showed that Coomasie was never at any time appointed as a peace ambassador by the UN.
Coomasie’s phone number was also made public on social media with many youths stalking him on the telephone and insulting him. Eventually, he switched off his phone.
However, on Monday evening, Coomasie released a new video apologising to Nigerian youths and endorsing the protests.
The All Progressives Congress chieftain, who appeared remorseful, said he was only airing his opinion and didn’t mean to offend anyone.
He said, “Good evening teeming Nigerian youths out there on the streets day and night protesting for the end of SARS or police brutality. As a Nigerian, like any other Nigerian, I have a right to air my view.
“It may suit some people and it may hurt some people but in whichever way you take it, I am deeply sorry for the utterances I made in that video. Please accept my sincere apology. I endorse you fully and wholeheartedly.”
