PROTEST: Amnesty International warns Nigerian authorities against violating human rights of hunger-stricken protesters
By KEMI KASUMU
As the planned national protest against hardship looms, Amnesty International is asking Nigerian authorities to respect the rights of demonstrators.
In a statement on Wednesday, Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director Isa Sanusi called on government and security agencies to allow protesters to exercise their rights.
“The Nigerian authorities must ensure that security agencies respect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest, as guaranteed by both the country’s own constitution and human rights treaties including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party. Government officials must also refrain from issuing rhetoric to demonize protesters and stifle peaceful dissent,” he said.
“Authorities must not use the proposed nationwide protests as a ploy to crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. People must be allowed to freely exercise their right to peaceful protest. The arrests of at least three people last week for allegedly supporting the protests on social media show the authorities’ intolerance of peaceful dissent.
“The escalating price of food is driving millions of people in Nigeria deeper into poverty while countless families are increasingly unable to afford the costs of healthcare and education. The Nigerian authorities must begin seriously addressing the underlying issues driving the protests instead of ramping up repression and stifling peaceful dissent.
“Authorities must show the commitment to upholding the country’s constitutional and international human rights obligations by allowing people to freely exercise their human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.”
The DEFENDER reports that Nigeria is currently facing a crippling economic crisis, with inflation rates on food hitting 36 percent.
The removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023 is driving many people into poverty, while officials have been accused of corruption.
Since July 20, 2024, many people have used social media platforms to organize nationwide peaceful protests proposed for 1-10 August.
The Nigerian authorities have, at times, labelled the protests as deliberate attempts to unleash violence just like some ruling political elements in Lagos profiled innocent Igbo tribes living and doing legitimate businesses in Lagos, as guaranteed by the Constitution, for stigma as they said the planned nationwide protests were their doing to wage war on Lagos State.
The political elements, generally believed to be fronting for the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led government, took steps further to give notice of an abrumpt Oro festival slated for exactly the 1 – 10 August that the organisers of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests picked for their outings.
Abanikanda Olumoro, a United Kingdom editorial contributor to The DEFENDER, had countered them swiftly in his article titled, “Let Lagos owners speak for themselves, they don’t see Igbo as their problem”.
