Lawyer Urges NBA To Act On Amnesty Report, Activists Demand Probe Into #EndBadGovernance Crackdown
A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Barrister Emeka Iheonu, has called for serious attention to the recently released Amnesty International (AI) report, which detailed police violence during the #EndBadGovernance protests. The report documents the deaths of 24 individuals, including minors, and the arrest of over 1,200 peaceful protesters between August 1 and 10, 2024.
Barrister Iheonu described the findings as a stark reminder of the alleged impunity exercised by security agencies during civic demonstrations in Nigeria. While expressing caution on accepting the report at face value, he highlighted past instances of human rights violations by the nation’s security forces, citing the #EndSARS protests as a notable example.
“It’s not for me to confirm or deny the Amnesty report,” Iheonu said, “but history shows that Nigerian military and paramilitary forces often act under ‘orders from above,’ violating the fundamental rights of citizens. A glaring example is the recent humiliation of a citizen in Abuja by a Major General and his subordinate.”
Iheonu urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take decisive action in defending the rule of law. “The NBA must rise to the occasion. Justice must prevail, even if the heavens fall,” he added, referencing a well-known legal maxim.
Reacting to the AI report, Hassan Taiwo-Soweto, National Spokesperson for the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), commended Amnesty International for its thorough documentation of the events. He accused the Tinubu administration and security agencies of grave human rights abuses during the protests.
“This report confirms what we have been saying: the regime used excessive force and committed extra-judicial killings during the #EndBadGovernance protests. Such actions violate national and international laws guiding security conduct during public demonstrations,” Taiwo-Soweto stated.
He called for the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to step aside to facilitate an impartial investigation. “We demand an independent probe to identify and prosecute those responsible for these violations,” he said, stressing the need for accountability.
The Amnesty International report has once again drawn attention to systemic issues of human rights abuses in Nigeria. Calls are mounting for justice and reform to prevent future occurrences of such high-handedness by security agencies.
