The families of individuals who were killed, injured during the #EndBadGovernance protests have issued a demand for justice and compensation from the Nigerian government.
At a press conference held on Monday in Kano by the Victims Support Initiative Nigeria (VSIN), families who lost loved ones during the #EndBadGovernance protests shared heart-wrenching accounts of their experiences, demanding accountability from law enforcement for their reckless actions.
Yahya Ibrahim, who lost his five-year-old son to a stray bullet in their family compound, spoke emotionally on behalf of the families.
“My son was just playing in the compound when a stray bullet cut his life short. This was not an accident but a failure of governance and accountability. We demand justice for all innocent lives lost,” he said.
The Victims Support Initiative Nigeria (VSIN) disclosed that more than 50 families across the nation have reported comparable tragic losses connected to the protests, shedding light on the pattern of excessive force employed by security operatives.
Fatima Yusuf, the coordinator of the Victims Support Initiative Nigeria (VSIN), asked the Nigerian government to establish an autonomous judicial panel for investigating the tragic incidents that occurred during the #EndBadGovernance protests.
Yusuf emphasized the need for an independent inquiry into the actions of law enforcement, as well as the importance of ensuring compensation for the families of victims, as part of the process to address the human rights violations and provide justice for those affected.
“These families deserve justice, not silence. The lives lost during the protests are a reminder of the systemic failures we need to fix as a nation,” she said.
“My son was just a little boy playing in our compound. He was too young to even understand what a protest meant, yet a policeman’s bullet took his life,” Ibrahim said, his voice heavy with grief.
“The Inspector General’s denial of this tragedy only adds to our pain. It’s a stark reminder of how accountability is missing.”
The families called on the government to thoroughly investigate the killings and hold officers who misused firearms accountable.
They also pressed for financial compensation for those who lost loved ones or suffered life-altering injuries.
Ibrahim explained how the lack of justice has worsened their anguish, leaving many families without closure.
“We won’t stop fighting for justice until those responsible face the consequences,” he vowed. Take It Back Movement (TIB) has condemned the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for demanding that Amnesty International retract its publication on the violent crackdown during the #EndBadGovernance protests in August 2024.
Earlier, the Take It Back Movement (TIB) had condemned the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for demanding that Amnesty International retract its publication on the violent crackdown during the #EndBadGovernance protests in August 2024.
Contrary to the NPF’s claims, there is ample evidence and testimony corroborating Amnesty International’s findings, the group said in a statement
It commended the courage of those who have shared their experiences of unjust treatment by law enforcement officers during the protests.
Amnesty International had said the police used live ammunition at close range, killing at least 24 people during #EndBadGovernance protests in Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, and Niger states.
The organisation said some victims were shot in the head or torso, while others were suffocated by teargas.
“People in Nigeria witnessed unbelievable lawlessness as security personnel fired live ammunition at peaceful protests,” Amnesty International Nigeria’s Director, Isa Sanusi, said.
“The death toll could be higher than 24 because of the authorities’ desperate efforts to cover up the atrocities.
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