A non-governmental organization, Amnesty International, in its latest report released on Thursday, alleged that Nigerian police used excessive force and shot protesters during the #EndBadGovernance protests in August.
The countrywide protests over economic hardship, also dubbed “#10DaysOfRage”, were the biggest demonstrations in Nigeria since October 2020.
The Nigeria Police Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Amnesty report. On Aug. 3, police denied killing protesters but said seven people had died.
At that time police blamed four deaths on an explosive device planted by suspected Boko Haram militants who infiltrated a crowd.
Police said two people were killed after being hit by a car while marching and one man was shot by a local vigilante while trying to loot a shop.
The government, which had encouraged Nigerians not to take part in the demonstrations, has not publicly commented on the deaths of protesters.
Amnesty explained in a 34-page report that it had gathered evidence from videos and photographs, death certificates and accounts from eyewitnesses.
The rights group said police killed at least 24 protesters in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kaduna, Niger, and Borno states.
“In almost all cases the victims were shot by the police – firing live ammunition at close range, often at the head or torso, suggesting that they were shooting to kill,” it added.
Amnesty said authorities should transparently and effectively investigate all allegations of attacks on protesters and bring perpetrators to justice.
Nigeria is grappling with its worst cost of living crisis in a generation.
President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, including the removal of petrol and some electricity subsidies and the devaluation of the naira, have added to rising costs.
