The Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) under the leadership of the Co-Chairman, His Eminence Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo Adeniyi Ayokunle, President, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention and His Eminence Alhaji Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubaka, the Sultan of Sokoto; President General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has noticed with concern the current waves of protest happening around the country and commends our youths for crying out against police brutality.

However, we are concerned that if the protest is not rested now and the demands of the protesters squarely and quickly addressed, such protest may be hijacked and is being hijacked already by the miscreants and unscrupulous individuals in the society, making it violent, leading to more bloodshed and paralysis of social and economic activities. It can equally lead to further spike on COVID-19 pandemic which God has been giving us grace to overcome. As a nation just rising from the economic hardship of COVID-a9, we should be wary of plunging ourselves into another social and economic disorder of breakdown again.

In view of the foregoing, NIREC calls on the government to expedite action and bring a quick and peaceful resolution to the situation on ground as any democratic government would do by addressing the agitations of the youths, especially through reformation of the police force so as to rid it of the criminal elements spoiling the image of the police in Nigeria.

We equally observe that unemployment has contributed to the continuous availability of the youths on the streets. A gainfully employed youths would not have time for increasing demonstration we had witnessed in the past days. The university lecturers' demands must be seriously addressed as well so that university students who are now available for the protests might be able to go back to their studies

In the same vein, NIREC urges the Nigerian youths to back down on the protests and give the government time to respond to their demands. All the religions we practice in Nigeria believe in peaceful resolution of conflicts, especially through constructive dialogue.

NIREC finally appeals to parents to plead with their children to desist from further going out to protest so that loss of lives might be prevented.

May peace and tranquility be the portion of Nigeria.