Amnesty International has condemned the killing of 13 protesters allegedly by security personnel across Nigeria, calling the incident “unjustified and unacceptable.”
In a statement on Friday, the Country Director, Isa Sanusi, urged Nigerian authorities to investigate the incidents impartially and effectively.
“The Nigerian authorities must investigate these incidents impartially and effectively and ensure that security personnel suspected of responsibility for the alleged deadly use of force are held to account through fair trial,” Sanusi said.
Amnesty International highlighted specific cases, including the killing of six people in Suleja, Niger State, four in Maiduguri, and three in Kaduna.
The organization also expressed concern over the Nigerian authorities’ “growing hostility to dissent” and the “relentless repression of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.”
“Our findings show that security personnel at the locations where lives were lost deliberately used tactics designed to kill while dealing with gatherings of people protesting hunger and deep poverty,” the statement read.
Amnesty International urged the Nigerian government to address the impact of recent reforms on economic, social, and cultural rights, including the rights to health and education. The organization also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested protesters and demanded an end to the violations of the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
“The authorities must end the rampant violations of people’s rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” Sanusi added.
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In response to the allegations, the Niger State Police Command, through its Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, acknowledged the chaos in Tafa Local Government Council Secretariat. Abiodun reported that miscreants looted, vandalized, and partly set the building on fire, damaging vehicles in the process. He claimed that security agencies responded by making arrests and dispersing the crowd with minimum force.
“During the process, there was no loss of life, and protesters were dispersed with the use of minimum force. Some miscreants were mildly injured during the stampede and were taken to different medical facilities for treatment,” Abiodun stated.
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) also expressed concern over the protests, noting that they had been hijacked by criminal elements and political actors with nefarious intentions. In a statement on Friday, CISLAC Executive Director Auwal Rafsanjani called for the protection of protesters and urged them not to destroy properties and public infrastructure.
“The protection of protesters is essential, but we urge them to refrain from destroying properties and public infrastructure,” Rafsanjani said.