#EndBadGovernance Protest: Govt Remands Over 1,000 Youths In Prison, Says Amnesty International

More than a thousand demonstrators against hunger and suffering under the #EndBadGovernance movement are allegedly being detained in different prisons throughout the nation, according to human rights organization Amnesty International.

The organization accused the Nigerian government of intensifying a crackdown on nonviolent protestors by charging over a thousand of them in court in a post published on its X account on Friday.

The organization’s position is in response to the August 1–10 protest.

In many areas, particularly those in the north, the protests took a violent turn, and reports of violence and looting were made.

Along with yelling “Tinubu must go,” some of the demonstrators were also spotted waving the Russian flag.

As a result of the hostility, on August 6, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced that the police had arrested some of the sponsors of rioters who hoisted foreign flags and called for a change of government in states such as Kano, Kaduna, and Zamfara, among others.

Seven Polish citizens were also part of those arrested. The Nigerian authorities alleged they were linked to the violent protests.

However, reacting, the organisation said that the Nigerian authorities had escalated the protest, and had cracked down on peaceful protesters by arraigning over 100 protesters in court.

The post read, “The Nigerian authorities are escalating crackdown on peaceful protesters against hunger and corruption. Over 1,000 people have been remanded nationwide. Today 441 people were arraigned in Kano, in what is set out to be an unfair trial based on trumped-up charges.

“Amnesty International again calls for an immediate and unconditional release of all those arrested for exercising their right to peaceful assembly. The government of Nigeria has an obligation to uphold the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”