Human rights body, Amnesty International, has accused police authorities in Nigeria of using “excessive force” against demonstrators during the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The protests took place between August 1 and 10 across the country owing to the harsh economic conditions in Nigeria.
Months after the protests, Amnesty International claimed the police’s use of force during the demonstrations led to the death of some persons.
“Nigerian police used excessive force against protesters during the nationwide #Endbadgovernance demonstrations between 1-10 August, killing at least 24 people in the states of Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Niger, Amnesty International said in a briefing published today,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
It claimed, “Those killed included 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 peaceful protests. The death toll could be higher than 24 because of the authorities’ desperate efforts to cover up the atrocities. Peaceful protest over government policies is now a matter of life and death in Nigeria,” the statement quoted the Director of Amnesty International, Nigeria, Isa Sanusi.
“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 must constitute an independent and impartial investigation of human rights violations during the #Endbadgovernance protests.”
The police are yet to comment on Amnesty International’s claims about the protests.
