NBA condemns shootings, extrajudicial killings by police in Niger

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Minna Branch, has raised the alarm over an increase in reckless shootings and extra judicial killings by police officers in Minna, Niger State capital, in recent times.

This was contained in an official letter signed by Isyaku Barau, Chairman of the NBA Minna Branch to the state’s Commissioner of Police.

The association in the letter condemned the unlawful killings of innocent civilians, citing these actions as a violation of fundamental human rights and a threat to public trust in law enforcement.

The NBA pointed to three recent tragic incidents, such as the killing of a Keke-NAPEP rider, the brutal shooting of a female immigration officer near the Obasanjo Shopping Complex, and the murder of a young professional footballer in Maitumbi, allegedly at the hands of a drunken police officer, adding that these events were framed as part of a troubling pattern of extra judicial killings.

The branch demanded thorough investigations into the incidents, the prosecution of the involved officers, compensation for the victims’ families, and the implementation of preventive measures such as re-assessing firearm handling protocols and psychological evaluations for active-duty officers.

The association emphasised that any attempt to shield those responsible would elicit strong legal action and public advocacy.