EndSARS: Amnesty International Says Protesters Still In Detention Three Years After

Amnesty International has disclosed that 15 #EndSARS protesters who were arrested in 2020 remain in arbitrary detention without trial three years after the #EndSARS protests shook Nigeria.

On the third anniversary of the historic protests, Amnesty International issued a statement revealing that the majority of these detained protesters are being held at Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre and Ikoyi Medium Security Correctional Centre in Lagos, and they have yet to face trial.

The international non-governmental organisation accused the Nigerian authorities of filing trumped-up charges against many protesters, including accusations of theft, arson, possession of unlawful firearms, and murder.

Moreover, some of these detainees have claimed they were subjected to torture.

Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, voiced the organization’s concerns, “Our investigation shows the Nigerian authorities’ utter disdain for human rights. Three years in detention without trial is a travesty of justice. This shows the authorities’ contempt for due process of law. The protesters must be immediately and unconditionally released.”

Amnesty International’s report highlighted specific cases of detained protesters, including Daniel Joy-Igbo, Sodiq Adigun, and others who’ve been languishing in prison without trial since 2020.

Some of them described their ordeal, with Joy-Igbo revealing that he had not been taken to court since his arraignment in December 2020.

The report also mentioned the resurgence of police brutality in Nigeria despite the nationwide protests in 2020. In the past year alone, Amnesty International documented several cases of unlawful killings by law enforcement officers, including the tragic deaths of Gafaru Buraimoh and Onyeka Ibe.

Three years after violent suppression of nationwide #EndSARS protests against police brutality, at least fifteen protesters arrested in 2020 are still being arbitrarily detained – the majority of them without trial – in Kirikiri and Ikoyi Correctional Centres in Lagos.

— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) October 19, 2023

During #EndSARS protest, Nigerian authorities undermined freedom of assembly, as the police and other security agents watched government-backed armed thugs attacking peaceful protesters. In some cases, these thugs were brought to the protest sites in government vehicles.

— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) October 19, 2023

 

Amnesty International has called on the Nigerian government to take concrete and effective measures to end police impunity, urging reforms to address widespread human rights violations by the police and to ensure that torture and other ill-treatment are not carried out under any circumstances.

As the international community marks the third anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, the call for justice and human rights in Nigeria continues to echo.