Amnesty International (AI) reports that a year after the # EndSARS protests, no culprit was brought to justice for “brutalizing” against innocent demonstrators.
According to the organization, complaints about human rights violations by police continue a year after youths from across the country took to the streets in October 2020 to call for an end to extrajudicial killings by the Special Anti-Theft Squad (SARS), police brutality, Harassment, and terrible governance.
On October 20, 2020, security agents reportedly opened fire on protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos, ending the protest.
Osai Ojigho, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said in a statement released on Wednesday (October 20) that the judicial investigative commissions set up to investigate the abuses by security officers against the citizens have not done anything.
" According to the overwhelming evidence on our table, Hundreds of the protesters were seriously injured. Nothing less than, 56 protesters killed, not counting dozens of young Nigerian youths who lost their lives when Nigerian security forces used unnecessary and excessive force to disperse peaceful protesters across the country under the pretext of restoring order," said Ojigho.
Nonetheless, the government continues to deny the fact that they never used live ammunitions on the protester, even in the midst of overwhelming evidence of the shell casings and dead bodies of protesters at Lekki toll gate Lagos.
The clear aim of the raid was to stir up fear, deter peaceful protests and punish those who call for an end to widespread police violations of human rights.
After looking at the videos and photos from the said protest locations, Amnesty International discovered that in nearly 21 occurrences involving violence between peaceful protesters and pro-government supporters, the police not only failed to prevent the demonstrators from violent attacks.
“In many cases, police and other security officials have seen armed thugs, apparently supported by the government, attack peaceful demonstrators. In some cases, these thugs were taken to protest sites in government vehicles. These attacks resulted in the deaths of demonstrators.
“Almost everyone arrested during the protests described being beaten with guns and whips, during their arrests. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 12 journalists were attacked by security forces and unknown perpetrators during the #EndSARS protests.
“After listening to those that were detained during the protest narrate their ordeal, the Amnesty international found out they were tortured while in detention. Several of these cases represent torture and other ill-treatment ”.
"Several lawyers and human rights defenders said they traveled from police station to police station for days to find out the whereabouts of those arrested," said AI.
“A person arrested during a demonstration on October 18, 2020, and arrested at Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Panti said he had repeatedly asked to call a lawyer. A police officer told him to shut up. While in detention, he was denied access to a lawyer who came to see him and did not see him until a week after he was arrested.
“Immediate access to lawyers was important to safeguard many human rights, such as the right to a fair trial and respect for the rights of detainees, including access to medical care when needed, and protection from forced confessions, torture, and other ill-treatment ”
“What we have seen at these panels is disheartening and clearly shows that there is no real obligation to bring justice to victims of police violence across Nigeria. These signs have raised hopes for justice, but in some states, it is rapidly disappearing, ”Ojigho said.
According to the organization, complaints about human rights violations by police continue a year after youths from across the country took to the streets in October 2020 to call for an end to extrajudicial killings by the Special Anti-Theft Squad (SARS), police brutality, Harassment, and terrible governance.
On October 20, 2020, security agents reportedly opened fire on protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos, ending the protest.
Osai Ojigho, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said in a statement released on Wednesday (October 20) that the judicial investigative commissions set up to investigate the abuses by security officers against the citizens have not done anything.
" According to the overwhelming evidence on our table, Hundreds of the protesters were seriously injured. Nothing less than, 56 protesters killed, not counting dozens of young Nigerian youths who lost their lives when Nigerian security forces used unnecessary and excessive force to disperse peaceful protesters across the country under the pretext of restoring order," said Ojigho.
Nonetheless, the government continues to deny the fact that they never used live ammunitions on the protester, even in the midst of overwhelming evidence of the shell casings and dead bodies of protesters at Lekki toll gate Lagos.
The clear aim of the raid was to stir up fear, deter peaceful protests and punish those who call for an end to widespread police violations of human rights.
After looking at the videos and photos from the said protest locations, Amnesty International discovered that in nearly 21 occurrences involving violence between peaceful protesters and pro-government supporters, the police not only failed to prevent the demonstrators from violent attacks.
“In many cases, police and other security officials have seen armed thugs, apparently supported by the government, attack peaceful demonstrators. In some cases, these thugs were taken to protest sites in government vehicles. These attacks resulted in the deaths of demonstrators.
“Almost everyone arrested during the protests described being beaten with guns and whips, during their arrests. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 12 journalists were attacked by security forces and unknown perpetrators during the #EndSARS protests.
“After listening to those that were detained during the protest narrate their ordeal, the Amnesty international found out they were tortured while in detention. Several of these cases represent torture and other ill-treatment ”.
"Several lawyers and human rights defenders said they traveled from police station to police station for days to find out the whereabouts of those arrested," said AI.
“A person arrested during a demonstration on October 18, 2020, and arrested at Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Panti said he had repeatedly asked to call a lawyer. A police officer told him to shut up. While in detention, he was denied access to a lawyer who came to see him and did not see him until a week after he was arrested.
“Immediate access to lawyers was important to safeguard many human rights, such as the right to a fair trial and respect for the rights of detainees, including access to medical care when needed, and protection from forced confessions, torture, and other ill-treatment ”
“What we have seen at these panels is disheartening and clearly shows that there is no real obligation to bring justice to victims of police violence across Nigeria. These signs have raised hopes for justice, but in some states, it is rapidly disappearing, ”Ojigho said.