Amnesty International has accused Nigerian security forces of deliberately shooting to kill peaceful protesters during demonstrations between 2014 and 2024, resulting in the deaths of over 190 people.

The global human rights organisation stated that security agencies, including the police, military, and Department of State Services (DSS), consistently used excessive force, arbitrary arrests, and torture to suppress protests.

“In all cases, the victims were shot by the police, who fired live ammunition at close range, often at the head or torso, suggesting that officers were shooting to kill,” Amnesty International said. “Two survivors suffered injuries after being shot by police in the arm and legs.”

The report documented several incidents of violent crackdowns on peaceful demonstrations, including the earliest cited case on 28 May 2014. On that day, suspected pro-government protesters attacked members of the #BringBackOurGirls movement in Abuja, while police officers stood by without intervening.

“Instead of protecting the protesters, law enforcement used the disruption as an excuse to forcibly disperse them,” the report noted.

Another major incident took place on 30 May 2016, during a peaceful Biafra Remembrance Day event in Anambra State, where security forces killed at least 60 demonstrators and injured around 70 others.

Amnesty International also highlighted the 2020 #EndSARS protests, during which at least 56 protesters were killed across the country. The most infamous incident occurred on 20 October 2020, when security forces opened fire on protesters at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, killing at least 12 people in what has come to be known as the “Lekki Massacre.”

“Protests play an important part in the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural life of all societies,” Amnesty International said. “In Nigeria, the government treats protest as either an inconvenience to be controlled or a threat to be extinguished.”

The organisation also documented instances of police brutality during protests led by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Our Mumu Don Do movement, and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), as well as the violent response to the 2024 #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.

Amnesty International condemned the pattern of impunity and called for independent investigations into the killings, urging the government to ensure justice for victims and their families.

“Despite repeated assurances of reform, Nigeria’s security forces continue to violate human rights with impunity,” the organisation said.

Amnesty International warned that the cycle of repression is likely to persist if the authorities continue to ignore demands for accountability and justice.