1 October Protest: NHRC warns police, other security operatives against rights violations

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) re-affirmed on Monday that peaceful protest is a right of every Nigerian, cautioning against any attempt to clamp down on protesters during the planned 1 October protests in different parts of the country.

Many Nigerians have called for a nationwide protest to be held on Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day Anniversary on Tuesday, in continuation of the hunger protest that was held for 10 days across various states and Abuja in August.

“The right to peaceful assembly is the cornerstone stone of our liberty and an essential instrument for promoting the values of democracy and good governance,” the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, said at a press conference at the commission’s headquarters. “Protests are legitimate means of voicing dissatisfactions and participating in shaping citizen-centred governance and development outcomes.”

Mr Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who condemned the widespread arrests, harassment, and killing of protesters during the August #EndBadGovernance protest, said the NHRC is keeping an eye on the trials of those unlawfully detained in connection with the protest by law enforcement agencies.

He lamented the gross violations of human rights, arbitrary arrests of citizens by law enforcement officers who were yet to be brought to book, and the looting of properties by hoodlums.

“The NHRC notes with great concern, the clampdown of protesters and the subsequent criminal prosecutions following the August 2024 End Bad Governance Protests across parts of Nigeria.

“The August protests led to loss of lives and public and private properties, but it is yet to be seen that there have been arrests and prosecution of law enforcement and security agents who were primarily responsible for these violations,” he said, adding, “The NHRC is concerned about the charges of treason that have been imposed on some of the protesters and have made this known in various forums. We will continue to monitor the situation and the trials.”

To avert the recurrence of the ugly features of the #EndBadGovernance protest, the NHRC has referred everyone to its comprehensive protest advisory that was issued ahead of the August demonstrations.

He vowed that the commission would monitor the activities of the state and non-state actors during Tuesday’s protest and ensure accountability.

“The NHRC will be monitoring the protests across Nigeria and will ensure that state and non-state actors violating the right to protests and other associated human rights will be held accountable,” he said.

#EndBadGovernance marked by widespread rights abuses

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the law enforcement agencies violated the rights of protesters and non-protesters during the #EndBadGovernance protest, despite the advisory issued by the NHRC to guide the conduct of the protest.

The police and SSS who shot live ammunition at peaceful protesters and journalists, including PREMIUM TIMES reporters, while they harassed, arbitrarily arrested and detained protesters and non-protesters including minors.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that at least 56 journalists were assaulted or harassed by security forces or unidentified citizens while covering the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations in August.

The NHRC asked the police authorities to probe and sanction their officers who attacked journalists during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests in Abuja. The police not only ignored such calls but continued to maintain that its operatives acted professionally during the protests. PREMIUM TIMES documented the killing and injuring of people during the protest here.

According to the NHRC over 1,200 were detained during the protest. Some have been charged with the allegation of attempting to topple President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Some of the detainees, including minors who are in jail without charge are minors accused of terrorism by the police.

Many have said the ruthlessness demonstrated by the security forces during the #EndBadGovernance protests reflects the authoritarian tendencies that the President Tinubu’s administration has persistently demonstrated since coming on board last year. There has been a spike in the cases of arrests and harassment of journalists, harassment of labour leaders with dissenting views and other citizens on the flimsiest of excuses since Mr Tinubu came to office last year.

PREMIUM TIMES recently published a compelling editorial warning that Mr Tinubu’s government was sliding towards dictatorship.

1 October protest

The planned 1 October protest is a continuation of the #EndBadGovernance protest which took place between the 1 to 10 August. The protests are inspired by the same themes of economic hardship, bad governance, corruption and harsh economic policies, including removal of subsidies, increased taxes and floating of the naira, that have characterised the President Bola Tinubu administration.

The protest is planned to coincide with Nigeria’s 64th Independence anniversary.

Groups backing the protest, issued a press statement on Sunday, urging the masses to troop out on 1 October to express their anger against the hardship they have been grappling with since President Tinubu assumed office in May last year.

The groups include The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC), Joint Action Front (JAF), Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), and Yoruba Revolutionary Movement (YOREM).

Others are Coalition for Concerned Nigerian Citizens (CCNC), Initiative for a Better and Brighter Nigeria (IBBN), Movement for African Emancipation (MAE), Pan-African Consciousness Renaissance (PACOR-Nigeria), Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR).

READ ALSO: #EndBadGovernance Protest: Organisers declare 1 October National Day of Survival’

The organisers of the protest, which some of them tagged, #FearlessinOctober, demand, among others, the release of those detained during the #EndBadGovernance protest, and an end to the ‘anti-poor’ policies and human rights violations. particularly the freedom of expression and assembly that has been eroded by this present administration.