No fewer than 67 Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, have called on President Bola Tinubu to end the escalating crackdown on global rights watchdog, Amnesty International and other activists, human rights, journalists and other Nigerians.
Recall that the Nigeria Police Force had threatened a lawsuit against the Amnesty over its report titled: “Nigeria: Bloody August: Nigerian government’s violent crackdown on #EndBadGovernance protests”.
Reacting through a joint statement, the 67 CSOs condemned the intimidation, harassment and threat against Amnesty International and crackdown on the human rights movement in the country.
“We stand in solidarity with Amnesty International. The intimidation, harassment and threat against Amnesty International and escalating crackdown on the human rights movement in the country must end.
“We call on the government of President Bola Tinubu to direct the Nigeria police force to immediately end its ongoing intimidation, harassment and threat against Amnesty International and to allow the organization to freely carry out its human rights work in the country without any fear of reprisals,” the statement stressed.
The organisations noted that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported that 27 protesters were killed by the police while about 800 people were arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protests across the country.
“Several protesters were reportedly detained without charges or trial. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN also reported that some 22 protesters were killed while over 2,000 protesters were arrested during the protests in several states,” the statement noted.
But the CSOs lamented that rather than investigating these grave allegations of human rights violations and abuses, the police was deliberately intimidating, threatening and targeting Amnesty International.
The CSO, therefore, called on the Federal Government to halt all acts of repression, judicial harassment and intimidation against activists, human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organisations.
“We call on the Tinubu administration to thoroughly, impartially, independently and effectively investigate the grave allegations of human rights violations and abuses in the context of the #EndBadGovernance protests.
“The administration must ensure that those suspected to be responsible are brought to justice promptly and that victims and their families are provided with access to justice and effective remedies.
“We call on the Tinubu administration to immediately take measures to ensure a conducive environment where civil society organizations, activists, human rights defenders, journalists and other Nigerians will feel safe to carry out their work and exercise their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” the statement concluded.
