Amnesty International has urged the Nigerian government to protect human rights and uphold the right to peaceful protest as Nigerians begin nationwide protests over costs of living on Thursday.
The Country Director of Amnesty International, Isa Sanusi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
“The Nigerian authorities must ensure that security agencies respect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest, as guaranteed by both the country’s constitution and human rights treaties,” he said.
Sanusi warned that the authorities must not use the protests as a pretext to violate human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
“People must be allowed to freely exercise their rights to peaceful protest,” he noted.
Sanusi also expressed concern over the arrest of at least three people last week for allegedly supporting the protests on social media, this, he said, showed the authorities’ intolerance of peaceful dissent.
With Nigeria facing a crippling economic crisis, including 36 percent inflation rate on food, Sanusi urged the authorities to address the issues driving the protests instead of stifling peaceful dissent.
“Authorities must show commitment to uphold the country’s constitutional and international human rights obligations by allowing people to freely exercise their human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” he said.
The nationwide hardship protest which is scheduled to hold between 1 and 10 August, 2024 has resonated all over the country attracting reactions on the social media.
Despite some views characterising the protests as potential sources of violence, Sanusi emphasized on the importance of respecting the right to peaceful protest.
