BEVERLY HILLS, October 24, (THEWILL) – Some footballers of the English Premier League are discussing a move to provide some aid for victims of the disturbing crisis in Nigeria.
The West African country is currently in the midst of national emergency occasioned by armed response to demonstrations as citizens protest against brutality from a now-disbanded section of the police called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
British-based footballers of Nigerian heritage, including Manchester United’s Odion Ighalo, Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi and Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori, have already amplified the voices of the protesters using their platforms to speak out against the harrowing scenes that have shocked the world.
Now, THEWILL understands that some discussions involving these footballers and others from England’s top flight towards providing rapid aid for those adversely affected are under way.
This week, just after the Red Devil’s UCL win over Paris Saint-Germain, United striker Ighalo said in a video he posted online:
“I’m not the kind of guy who talks about politics — but I can’t keep quiet any more about what is going on back home in Nigeria.
“I would say the government are a shame to the world — for killing your own citizens, sending military to the streets, to kill protesters because they are protesting for their rights.
“Today, 20th of October 2020, you people will be remembered in the history as the first government to send military to the city to start killing their own citizens.
“I am ashamed of this government. I’m calling the UK government, calling all those leaders in the world to please see what is going on in Nigeria and help us — help the poor citizens.”
It appears to THEWILL that these talks of aid are a response to his and the calls of many other personalities for some assistance for those dealing with the consequences of the armed response of government towards the demonstrations.
These goodwill gestures are encouraging. Earlier this year, Premier League footballers volunteered in numerous initiatives to help raise money to reduce the impact of coronavirus especially in poor communities.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
