Nigeria crackdown on protests violates fundamental rights: Amnesty International – JURIST

Amnesty International condemned Nigerian police’s violent clampdown on government protesters, in a report released on Thursday. The report highlighted that the brutality, resulting in at least 24 deaths across the country, violates the protesters’ right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

The organization accused Nigerian authorities of threatening protestors, seeking court orders to limit protest venues, arresting individuals arbitrarily, torturing detainees, and firing on protesters with intent to kill. Authorities have also charged multiple protesters with treason, including 29 minors who may face the death penalty.

The brief suggested that authorities acted under Nigeria’s Public Order Act, which requires official police approval to hold political rallies. However, the human rights organization countered with an appellate court opinion, holding that police permission is only necessary if protesters request police protection. Additionally, the organization argued that international law bars police from using “firearms against protesters unless they pose an imminent threat of death or serious injury, and only if there is no lesser way to avert such threat.”

Director of Amnesty International Nigeria Isa Sanusi called on the Nigerian authorities to initiate an investigation into the violent crackdown to hold offenders accountable and bring justice to the individuals who were killed or harmed, stating, “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.

Nigeria has been staggered by protests over a cost-of-living crisis since August. The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria movement protested against the country’s economic hardship and systemic corruption. As a result of current severe economic conditions, international organizations predict around 33 million Nigerians will face food insecurity over the next year.