- Amnesty International cautioned President Tinubu against threatening peaceful protesters, asserting that such actions violate the constitutional right to protest
- Dada Olusegun warned that protesters would face strong resistance, prompting Amnesty to emphasize the importance of protecting freedom of assembly
Amnesty International has cautioned President Bola Tinubu’s administration against threatening Nigerians who are planning to protest against the current hardship and hunger in the country.
The global human rights body emphasized that threatening intended peaceful protesters is unlawful, adding that Nigerians have the constitutional right to protest.
According to reports, some youths plan a nationwide protest between August 1 and 15 to express their concerns over the rising cost of living and economic hardship.
Following these reports, President Tinubu’s media aide, Dada Olusegun, warned that the intending protesters would face the strongest resistance if they protested against the Nigerian government.
In a post via X, Olusegun stated that those who gave Tinubu the mandate to rule the country would strongly resist the protest. He tweeted, “Those who want to burn the country down under whatever guise will meet the strongest resistance of their lives. Not from security agencies but from the silent majority that gave their mandate to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for four years in the first instance. We are waiting.”
Amnesty International responded by stating that threatening peaceful protesters is not only unlawful but also a clear attack on freedom of assembly, as guaranteed by international law and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
“Threatening peaceful protesters is unlawful. It is a clear attack on freedom of assembly, guaranteed by international law and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution. Nigerians must not be denied the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to peaceful protest through veiled threats of violence and false insinuations,” Amnesty International stated.
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