One year after the #EndBadGovernance protests were met with force by security agencies across multiple Nigerian states, Amnesty International says the federal government has not addressed reported abuses or delivered justice to victims.
In a statement released on Friday, Amnesty International accused Nigerian authorities of failing to uphold basic rights, citing ongoing legal proceedings against several protesters and a lack of accountability for law enforcement actions during the August 2024 demonstrations.
“The Nigerian authorities are yet to take appropriate and effective measures to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
According to the organisation’s findings, the police used live ammunition at close range, including shots aimed at the head and torso. Two individuals were reportedly shot in the limbs, while others were affected by tear gas. Some detainees, including minors, were allegedly subjected to torture and starvation while in custody.
Amnesty noted that minors collapsed during court proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 1, 2024, after being held in poor conditions.
Despite what the group described as “overwhelming evidence” that protesters did not violate any laws, the authorities have continued to prosecute those arrested.
In Maiduguri, Borno State, some protesters were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, caning, or community service after trials that Amnesty described as lacking in due process. The charges included accusations of forming an armed group named “Zanga Zanga.”
Trials are ongoing in Abuja, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, and Kaduna states, with several individuals still facing prosecution.
Amnesty reported that at least 24 people were killed by police between August 1 and 10, 2024, in connection with the protests in six states: Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Borno, Niger, and Kaduna.
The protests were driven by economic hardship and dissatisfaction with governance, following rising inflation, high food prices, and the removal of fuel subsidies.
