#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protests: Investigate Attacks, Killings

01 October protest

Following the ten-day #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests, the President Bola Tinubu-led government needs to investigate killing of protesters as it is essential to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

Development Diaries reports that from the first day of the protest, the police, especially in the capital, Abuja, and some states in the north, used violence to suppress demonstrations, firing tear-gas canisters at protesters and journalists as well as arresting them.

The police had confirmed that by the first day of the protests, they had arrested nearly 700 protesters across the country, with Amnesty International reporting that at least 13 people were killed, mainly by the police.

Security operatives also attacked some journalists and human rights activists in an effort to prevent them from doing their constitutionally guaranteed work to inform citizens about the protests.

Human rights activist, Tunde Oluajo, and the National Coordinator of Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), Michael Adaramoye, were among the protesters arrested in Abuja on Monday, 05 August, 2024, highlighting the increasing risks protesters, activists, and journalists in Nigeria face.

There are reports of security operatives using bullets and teargas against the crowd and the journalists who were covering the protests.

One of the victims was a Premium Times reporter, Yakubu Mohammed, who was brutally attacked by police in Abuja as he reported.

Attacks on protesters and journalists are contrary to the ideals of democracy and a sad reflection of the government’s intolerance for dissent.

Nigeria’s constitution recognises citizens’ rights to peaceful protest and assembly. The country is also a signatory to international human rights laws.

Therefore, such actions by security operatives in the country show a lack of respect for human rights and democratic ideals and undermine the government’s credibility in promoting and protecting these rights.

And the government suppressing peaceful protests sends a message of intolerance towards opposing views and a lack of commitment to engaging with citizens’ concerns.

These actions further erode public trust in the institutions meant to safeguard democracy and protect the rights of the people, ultimately weakening the very fabric of the democratic system Nigeria seeks to honour.

Development Diaries therefore calls on President Tinubu to order a thorough investigation into the killings and attacks and hold those responsible accountable.

We also call on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately investigate the conduct of police operatives during the protests and take necessary action against the perpetrators.

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