A coalition of 67 civil society organisations, CSOs, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s government to halt the harassment and intimidation of Amnesty International Nigeria by the Nigeria Police Force. This demand follows a police letter dated January 6, 2025, threatening legal action against Amnesty International over its report titled “Nigeria: Bloody August,” which documented police violence during the #EndBadGovernance protests in August 2024.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana condemned the intimidation, calling the threat of legal action an act of reprisal and harassment. The police’s letter demanded a retraction and public apology within seven days, labelling Amnesty’s claims as “baseless allegations.”

The CSOs’ joint statement highlighted that at least 27 protesters were killed, and around 800 arrested, many detained without charges. The coalition expressed concerns about the ongoing repression, which they believe undermines civic space and human rights in Nigeria, urging the government to focus on investigating the report’s findings.

The statement read in part: “We also note 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 in August 2024. 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.

“We are seriously concerned that rather than promptly, thoroughly, impartially, independently and effectively investigating these grave allegations of human rights violations and abuses, bringing suspected perpetrators to justice and ensuring effective remedies and adequate compensation for victims and their families, the police is deliberately intimidating, threatening and targeting Amnesty International.”

The coalition also expressed concerns that the harassment of Amnesty International, alongside the intimidation of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and other activists, demonstrates a crackdown on civic space and human rights in the country. The group emphasised that these actions undermine the freedom of activists, journalists, and Nigerians to carry out their legitimate human rights work.

The statement continued: “We are concerned that Nigerian authorities continue to disregard their obligations under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the human rights treaties including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which the country is a state party.

“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.

“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.

“We call on the Tinubu administration to immediately 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 end its ongoing crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly and to respect the human rights of everyone and rule of law in Nigeria.” (Daily Sun)