An advocacy group under the aegis of Access to Justice (A2Justice) has called on the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to adopt a resolution and take specific action on Nigeria in view of the alleged “deteriorating human rights situation” in the country.
In a statement dated 22nd November, 2020, made available to TheNigeriaLawyer, A2Justice said it wrote the Commission via a letter dated 20th November, 2020 condemning the response of government to the EndSars protest.
Giving account of the human rights violations, Access to Justice said it made reference to the Lekki Toll-Gate incidence in their letter, where soldiers allegedly shot at the protesters.
“The use of significant military force in the shooting appears to be targeted at sending a strong and chilling message to those taking part in protests across Nigeria, insinuating to them that the government would not tolerate the expression of political speech that may threaten its grip on power”. The statement partly reads
The Group said they had also informed ACHPR of “the continuing intimidation, arrests, and prosecution of citizens by the Nigerian government saying faces in the #ENDSARS protests are being harassed, arrested, and prosecuted.”
And according to them, “some other persons who participated in the protests have had their bank accounts frozen and some have had their travel Passport seized. Additionally, that Nigeria’s independent media have also been a victim of government’s intimidation with some media houses penalized with heavy fines for disseminating information of the protests.”
Furthermore, A2Justice said it has informed ACHPR of an attempt by the Nigerian government to gag citizens from freely exercising their freedom of speech because Police Chiefs say that protests are now illegal
They noted also that the Nigerian government has “renewed its interest in the passage of the Social Media Regulation Bill with the intent on clamping down on social media activism.”
Access to Justice further noted that the threats and actions undertaken by the Nigerian government “have had a chilling effect on citizens, fostering a sense of palpable fear as well as escalating already high social tension within the civil society”.
A2Justice said they thereafter urged the Commission to “adopt a Resolution on Nigeria while keeping the human rights situation in Nigeria under close observation.” and to “call on the Nigerian government to make good its promise to reform the police since it had acknowledged the need for wide-ranging reform of the force while acceding to the #ENDSARS demands.”
Also, A2Justice said it requested the ACHPR “to demand, from the Nigerian government the release of all those who have been arrested and detained as well as end the harassment of #ENDSARS protesters. It also urged the Commission to call on the Nigerian government to end the use of military forces to police protests and ensure that Nigeria carries on with its commitment to ACHPR on rights-based policing.”
Lastly, they said they urged the Commission to “call on the Nigerian government to stop misusing counter-terrorism measures to target peaceful protesters.”
