Police killed 24, detained 1200 during #Endbadgovernance protest

From Desmond Mgboh, Kano

Annesty International, Thursday in Kano, declared that 24 protesters were killed while 1200 others, including minors, were detained by the police during the #Endbadgovernance” protest in Nigeria.

Speaking at the presentation of the report on the protest, Country Director, Annesty International, Isa Sanusi explained that the killings specifically took place in Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Niger, Borno and Kaduna States.

According to him, the police deployed excessive force to quash the protests,while lamenting that
“In all cases, the victims were shot by the police, firing live bullets at close range at thier head or torso, suggesting that the officers were shooting to kill”

According to them, ” People in Nigeria witnessed unbelievable lawlessness as security personnel fired live ammunition 522at protesters”

Annesty International stressed that the death toll could have been higher than 24 mentioned bearing in mind the apparent desperate efforts by the police to cover up their atrocities’.

” The Nigeria authorities must hold the police and other security agencies to account for unleashing deadly force on protesters who did not constitute an imminent threat to lives” they insisted.

They also expressed shock at the flagrant denials of wrong doings by the police despite public evidence to the contrary, while insisting that their denials spoke a lot about their utter disregard for the sanctity of human lives.

They charged the administration to promptly conduct a thorough, transparent and effective investigations into the allegations of human rights violations during the protest and ensure that those responsible are identified and brought to justice in fair trials.

They appealed to the administration to grant access to justice and effective remedies to victims of the protest and their families.