Amnesty International today announced the appointment of Isa Sanusi, a human rights defender, and former journalist, as its new Country Director for Nigeria.

Responding to the death of activist and human rights defender Ariyo Dare-Atoye who isburied today, Osai Ojigho Director Amnesty International Nigeria said:

Amnesty International Nigeria is gravely concerned over the safety and liberty of Human Rights Defender and Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma who had to go into hiding following threats to his life for revealing the alleged corruption by the Edo State Police Command in investigating oil theft and adulteration of petroleum product in the state. 

Prof. Maurice Fangnon was a brave activist who dedicated his life to defending the poor and oppressed. The 65-year-old human rights defender passed away in Lagos, Nigeria on 5 May 2022.

Amnesty International Public Statement

Amnesty International Nigeria today launches #TalkYourTruth- a campaign to protect freedom of expression in Nigeria, as critics, journalists and individuals who express dissenting views face intimidation, threats and sometimes arrest by security forces. 

Governments must be held accountable for the deaths of health and essential workers who they have failed to protect from COVID-19, Amnesty International said today, as it released a new report documenting the experiences of health workers around the world.

Health and essential workers have played an extraordinary role in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Across countries, they have put their health and wellbeing at risk, often in very difficult circumstances and with very little support, to ensure that people are able to access the essential services they need. They have faced reprisals from the authorities and their employers for raising safety concerns, and in some cases have been subject to violence and stigma from members of the public. This report makes concrete recommendations for what governments across the world need to do to comply with their human rights obligations and adequately protect the rights of health and essential workers.

By Seun Bakare, Programmes Manager, Amnesty International Nigeria

The Nigerian authorities have failed to prosecute a single officer from the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), despite anti-torture legislation passed in 2017 and evidence that its members continue to use torture and other ill-treatment to execute, punish and extract information from suspects, Amnesty International said today.

Nearly 10 years after a clean-up was urged for areas polluted by Shell and other oil companies in the Niger Delta, work has begun on only 11% of planned sites while vast areas remain heavily contaminated, according to a new investigation by four NGOs.

By Netsanet Belay is the Research and Advocacy Director, Amnesty International