One year after Nigerian security forces violently suppressed the #EndBadGovernance protests, authorities have failed to deliver justice for victims and survivors, Amnesty International said on Thursday, decrying a persistent culture of impunity and denial.
In a report marking the anniversary of the August 2024 protests, the rights group revealed that at least 24 protesters were killed by police between August 1 and 10 in Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Borno, Niger, and Kaduna States. The victims were reportedly shot at close range—often in the head or torso—indicating a clear intent to kill.
“Despite the gravity of these human rights violations, not a single security operative has been prosecuted. Accountability remains elusive,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
The report further highlights that survivors suffered life-altering injuries, including gunshot wounds and trauma from excessive use of tear gas. Others, including minors, were subjected to torture and starvation while in detention. One such case involved children who collapsed during trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 1, 2024.
Amnesty also raised concerns over ongoing sham trials across several states. In Borno, minors and adults were convicted on what the organization described as “bogus and frivolous” charges, including forming a protest group named Zanga Zanga on WhatsApp “to take up arms against the government.” Sentences ranged from caning and community service to five years’ imprisonment.
In Abuja, several protesters—among them Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, and Angel Love Innocent—continue to face prosecution. Charges include “levying war against the state,” “inciting to mutiny,” and “intent to destabilize Nigeria” for acts such as chanting “Tinubu must go” and carrying protest placards.
Amnesty International condemned these prosecutions as a violation of the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
“The Nigerian government’s failure to hold police accountable for these atrocities sends a dangerous message—that brutality is acceptable,” said Sanusi. “This human rights baggage cannot be swept under the carpet.”
The organization urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to end the repression of dissent and take concrete steps to ensure justice, accountability, and protection of civil liberties.
