Amnesty International has strongly condemned the reported killing of 13 protesters by security personnel across Nigeria, calling the incidents “unjustified and unacceptable.” In a statement released on Friday by Country Director Isa Sanusi, the organization urged Nigerian authorities to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation into the incidents and to ensure that any security personnel implicated in the alleged use of deadly force are held accountable through a fair trial.
The organization highlighted the violence in Suleja, Niger State, where six people were killed and dozens wounded; Maiduguri, where four people were killed; and Kaduna, where three others lost their lives. Amnesty International expressed concern over the Nigerian government’s increasing hostility toward dissent and the suppression of the right to peaceful assembly.
The statement noted, “Our findings indicate that security personnel at these locations deliberately employed tactics intended to kill while managing protests against hunger and severe poverty.” Amnesty International called on the Nigerian government to address the adverse effects of recent reforms on economic, social, and cultural rights, including access to health and education. It demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested protesters and an end to widespread violations of the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
Peoplesmind
