Uterres in a statement on Wednesday also expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

He called on the authorities to investigate the incidents and hold the perpetrators accountable.

The statement read, “The Secretary-General is following recent developments in Nigeria and calls for an end to reported police brutality and abuses.

“The Secretary-General urges the security forces to act at all times with maximum restraint while calling on protestors to demonstrate peacefully and to refrain from violence.”

The global body encouraged the authorities to swiftly explore avenues to de-escalate the situation and reiterated its readiness to support national efforts towards finding a solution.