- Over 1,000 #EndBadGovernance protesters are detained in Nigeria, with Amnesty International demanding their immediate release for exercising peaceful protest rights
- The Nigerian authorities face criticism for escalating their crackdown, as many protesters were arraigned under what Amnesty calls unfair trials
Over 1,000 #EndBadGovernance protesters are currently being held in various prisons across Nigeria, according to Amnesty International.
The global human rights organization has accused Nigerian authorities of intensifying their crackdown on peaceful demonstrators by arraigning over 1,000 individuals in court. The protests, which took place from August 1-10, reportedly turned violent in some states, leading to mass arrests.
On August 6, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced that the police had apprehended several key figures behind the unrest, some of whom were allegedly seen hoisting foreign flags in certain states.
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Friday, Amnesty International reiterated its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest.
“The Nigerian authorities are escalating their crackdown on peaceful protesters against hunger and corruption. Over 1,000 people have been remanded nationwide. Today, 441 people were prosecuted in Kano, in what appears to be an unfair trial based on trumped-up charges,” the post read.
Amnesty International once again called for the release of those arrested, emphasizing that the Nigerian government must uphold the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
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