Rationale 

One year after the police used lethal force and carried out mass arbitrary arrests of peaceful #Endbadgovernance protesters, the Nigerian authorities have failed to ensure justice for victims and survivors, while the police bizarrely continue to deny strong allegations of extrajudicial execution, torture and unlawful arrests of the protesters, Amnesty International said today.

The Nigerian authorities must take urgent steps to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the central state of Benue, where attacks by gunmen have displaced at least 500,000 people, many of whom are languishing in squalid camps without access to sufficient water, poor sanitation, food and healthcare, Amnesty International said today.

In recent years, Nigeria has seen a disturbing rise in mob violence — also known as jungle justice. In many cases, individuals are beaten, burned, or killed by groups of people based on nothing more than suspicion or accusation of wrongdoing.

Girls and young women who escaped Boko Haram captivity in north-east Nigeria are still being neglected by the country’s authorities, one year after Amnesty International’s landmark report and launch of the #EmpowerOurGirls campaign.

The Nigerian authorities’ shocking failure to protect lives and property from daily attacks by armed groups and bandits has cost thousands of lives and created a potential humanitarian crisis across many northern states, said Amnesty International.

Responding to the slaughter of the Chief Imam of Maru Alkali Salihu Suleiman, following the abduction of he and his three children, Isa Sanusi Director Amnesty International said:

An kama ƴan jarida da masu sharhi a kan mahukunta da aka caje su kuma aka tsare su ba bisa ƙa’ida ba. Jami’an tsaro sun kama tare da cuzguna wa masu zanga-zanga, kuma sun yi amfani da ƙarfi fiye da kima wajen daƙushe zanga-zangar, wanda ya haifar da mutuwar masu zanga-zangar da dama. An kashe ɗaruruwan mutane a tashin hankali. Ƴan mata da Boko Haram suka sake suna ci gaba da zama cikin rashin tallafi da adalci. Wata kotu a Burtaniya ta ba wa al’ummomi a jihar Rivers damar tuhumar kamfanin Shell da alhakin lalacewar muhalli.

“Amnesty International strongly condemns the killing of at least 54 people between 12:00 am to 1:00 am last night when gunmen invaded Zikke village of Bassa LGA, Plateau State. Along the way, the gunmen also razed villages and looted homes, destroying everything on their path. While those killed are being prepared for mass burial, more dead bodies are being discovered in the bush.”

The National Broadcasting Commission’s blatant ban of broadcasting Eedris Abdulkareem’s song “Tell Your Papa” is a clear violation of freedom of expression, which includes the right to obtain information. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must immediately direct the NBC to withdraw the bizarre ban which violates a range of human rights.

Ahead of planned nationwide protests slated for Monday, 7 April 2025, in response increasing clampdown on freedom of expression through the manipulation of the draconian Cybercrimes Act, Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, said:

Amnesty International is deeply concerned that almost every year, the Nigerian military is using lethal force on peaceful Quds day protests of Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) as soldiers killed at least five protesters in Abuja and dozens left severely injured — some with life-threatening injuries. Those injured were denied medical treatment.