Nigerian authorities have failed to conduct fair investigation and impose deserved punishments on those guilty of the killings of protesters during a rally against police brutality in the city of Lagos, a human rights watchdog said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2021) Nigerian authorities have failed to conduct fair investigation and impose deserved punishments on those guilty of the killings of protesters during a rally against police brutality in the city of Lagos, a human rights watchdog said on Thursday.
Amnesty International Nigeria said that the government has been denying allegations that the security forces shot dead 12 demonstrators at the Lekki Toll plaza Lagos on October 20. While the authorities and law enforcement agencies insisted that troops fired shots into the air without targeting protesters, Amnesty's investigations noted that authorities have not relented in their efforts to punish the leaders of the nationwide movement against police violence.
"Instead of bringing suspected perpetrators to justice and prioritizing genuine police reforms, Nigerian authorities have been abusing their powers by subjecting those who supported the protests to intimidation, harassment and smear campaigns," Osai Ojigho, the director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said in statement released by the organization.
The watchdog urged the Nigerian government to ensure justice for the victims of the incidents and suspend prosecution of supporters of the protests.
In fall 2020, Nigeria saw a series of mass rallies led by the so-called EndSARS movement, prompted by numerous claims implicating the country's Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit in acts of violence, torture and blackmail. The department was then disbanded and replaced with the Special Weapons And Tactics (Swat) squad. However, riots have continued against other forms of police violence.
