A wave of protests sweeping across Nigeria has been met with a heavy-handed response from security forces, resulting in at least 13 deaths, according to a report by Amnesty International.
The human rights group has accused Nigerian police and military personnel of using excessive force against peaceful demonstrators in three northern states, a claim Nigerian authorities have strongly denied.
“Our findings, so far, show that security personnel at the locations where lives were lost deliberately used tactics designed to kill, while dealing with gatherings of people protesting hunger and deep poverty,” the group stated.
The protest, which began on Thursday, August 1st, is largely focused on government’s handling of the economy and rising costs of living. Demonstrators have taken to the streets in cities across the country, including Lagos, Abuja, and Kano. According to Amnesty International, six people were killed in Niger State, four in Borno State, and three in Kaduna State on the first day of the protests.
Nigerian police authorities have pushed back against Amnesty’s report, stating that officers “acted professionally, refraining from using lethal weapons.” Police spokesperson ACP Ouguiya Adejobi said only seven deaths were recorded on the first and second day of the protests while 681 individuals were arrested for “clear connection to criminal activities.”
As the unrest continues, the Nigerian government has imposed curfews in several northern states and deployed a substantial security presence to suppress the protests. However, the demonstrators remain defiant, refusing to be silenced by the crackdown.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
