President Buhari had on Monday said his government would deal decisively with "any act of hooliganism hiding behind peaceful protests."
Aisha Yesufu, human rights activist and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls advocacy group, has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari for threatening #EndSARS protesters.
President Buhari had on Monday said his government would deal decisively with "any act of hooliganism hiding behind peaceful protests."
The President's comment comes as some Nigerians prepared to take to the streets again in continuation of the #EndSARS protest.
Reacting during an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday, Aisha encouraged protesters not to give in to threats but continue agitating for their rights to good governance by every peaceful means.
"I think it's very disrespectful for people that we put in office to keep looking at us and telling us all sorts of things and then citizens are the ones that are supposed to be respectful to the people in the office," she said.
"If there's anywhere where there is hooliganism going on, I think it's at the Aso Villa and the president is the one presiding over that and we've had to feel the depth of that hooliganism. It's very unfair for the president to look at protesters, people who are tired of what's going on in the nation to say something like that. That's not the kind of language the president should be using.
"He has consistently, over the years since he was elected, denigrated Nigerians both in and outside of the country. Every time he speaks, it's the tone he uses and it has to stop. The highest office of this nation is the office of the citizen.
"The office of the president is the highest political office in the land, and we should always remember that we are not slaves to them. We put them there to serve us and that's why they are called public servants."