A year after a brutal police crackdown on the #EndBadGovernance protests, no justice has been served for the 24 protesters killed by security forces across northern Nigeria, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
In a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the nationwide demonstrations, the global human rights organization accused Nigerian authorities of covering up human rights violations, failing to prosecute security officers, and continuing sham trials against peaceful demonstrators.
Between 1 and 10 August 2023, at least 24 protesters were killed in Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Borno, Niger, and Kaduna states after police reportedly opened fire with live ammunition at close range. Amnesty said victims were often shot in the head or torso, indicating a shoot-to-kill approach. Survivors told investigators they suffered gunshot wounds, tear gas suffocation, and torture in detention, with some minors collapsing from starvation during court proceedings.
“A year on, despite the gravity of these human rights violations, not a single member of the security forces has been prosecuted,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria. “Those behind these atrocities must be held to account.”
In Borno State, several young protesters were convicted in what Amnesty described as a sham trial. Among them were three minors aged 14 to 17, sentenced to community service and caning, while adults received five-year prison terms. The group was accused of forming a WhatsApp protest group called “Zanga Zanga” with alleged intentions to “take up arms against the government”—charges Amnesty called bogus and politically motivated.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 11 protesters including Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye (aka Lenin) and Angel Love Innocent (aka Loveth) still face trial. They are accused of “levying war against the state,” “inciting mutiny,” and “intent to destabilize Nigeria,” allegedly by chanting slogans like “Tinubu must go” and carrying placards that read “End Bad Government.”
Amnesty warned that Nigeria’s continued repression of civic dissent under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government sends a dangerous signal to security forces and undermines democracy.
“What happened in parts of Nigeria last August is a clear demonstration of the government’s disregard for human rights,” Sanusi said. “The crackdown must not be swept under the carpet.”
