Amnesty unveils report on Police’s violent crackdown on Endbadgovernance protesters
Amnesty International, Nigeria has unveiled a report in which it detailed the violent crackdown on Endbadgovernance protesters in August.
It said at least 24 protesters were gunned down by the police in six states during the nationwide protest between August 1 and August 10, 2024.
The report indicated that more than 1,200 people were detained while 146 people including minors were arraigned and charged with treasonable felony.
Sanusi said 12 protesters were killed in Kano, three in Borno, Jigawa, and Niger, two in Kaduna and one in Katsina.
According to the report, the Nigerian police used “excessive force” which led to the death of 20 young people, an older person and two children.
“In all cases, the victims were shot by the police, firing live ammunition at close range often at the head or torso, suggesting that officers were shooting to kill. Two survivors suffered injuries after being shot by police in the arm and legs, others were suffocated by the indiscriminate use of tear gas.
“People in Nigeria witnessed unbelievable lawlessness as security personnel fired live ammunition at protesters. The death toll could be higher than 24 because of the authorities’ apparent desperate efforts to cover up the atrocities.
“Peaceful protest over government policies is now a matter of life and death in Nigeria.
“The Nigerian authorities must hold the police and other security agencies to account for unleashing deadly force on people who did not constitute an imminent threat to lives.
“It is shocking that police have engaged in flagrant denials of wrongdoing despite public evidence to the contrary, and this speaks to their utter disregard for the sanctity of human lives.
“President Bola Tinubu and his government must conduct prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigations into the allegations of human rights violations during the #Endbadgovernance protests, and ensure that those suspected to be responsible are identified and brought to justice in fair trials. Nigerian authorities must ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims and their families.”
Amnesty said that the report was based on videos, photographs, accounts from eyewitnesses, medical workers, and victims’ relatives, friends, and acquaintances on the ground.
“Eyewitnesses told Amnesty International in Kano, Dutse, Katsina, and Minna that the protests were largely peaceful when they began in the morning of 1 August, but the mood abruptly changed when police attacked the protesters by firing live ammunition and tear gas. The excessive use of force by the police against protesters contravenes international human rights standards, including the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.
“Those who expressed support for the protests on social media were attacked and many were arbitrarily arrested either by the Police or the Department of State Services, DSS.
“Khalid Aminu – an engineer was arrested by the DSS in Kaduna during the protest. He told Amnesty International that: “I was tortured for over 60 days and the torture started right from the point of arrest. The DSS operatives beat me and other protesters with sticks and iron cables. They poured water on me. I am yet to fully recover from these atrocities.”
Michael Adaramoye (widely known as Lenin) was detained for two months for being part of the protest in Abuja.
“Despite overwhelming evidence, including eyewitness accounts, videos, medical records, testimonies of the parents of victims and survivors, and photographs, the police have consistently denied involvement in the killings, dismissing them as “fake news” or attributing them to “unknown gunmen.”
“The Nigerian authorities must end this cycle of impunity and ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims and survivors. Deadly crackdowns on peaceful protests must end in compliance with Nigeria’s national and international legal obligations.”
