August 01, (THEWILL) – Amnesty International (AI) has charged the Nigerian Government to respect rights of protesters against hunger and economic hardship, as protest kicks off nationwide in the country on Thursday, August 1.
A statement by Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, called on the government and security agencies to allow protesters to exercise their rights.
The statement read: “The Nigerian authorities must ensure that security agencies respect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest, as guaranteed by both the country’s own constitution and human rights treaties including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.
“Government officials must also refrain from issuing rhetoric to demonise protesters and stifle peaceful dissent.
“Authorities must not use the proposed nationwide protests as a ploy to crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. People must be allowed to freely exercise their right to peaceful protest. The arrests of at least three people last week for allegedly supporting the protests on social media show the authorities’ intolerance of peaceful dissent.
“The escalating price of food is driving millions of people in Nigeria deeper into poverty while countless families are increasingly unable to afford the costs of healthcare and education. The Nigerian authorities must begin seriously addressing the underlying issues driving the protests instead of ramping up repression and stifling peaceful dissent.
“Authorities must show the 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.”
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed personnel across the country to “deal decisively” with arsonists and troublemakers.
In a statement on Wednesday, the IGP said the organisers of the protest failed to furnish the police with the details of the protests including the names of intending participants, routes of rallies, among others.
According to the IGP, “the name given to the movement — ‘Take It Back Movement’ has far-reaching undemocratic, unconstitutional and illegal connotations”.
He said intelligence revealed that the protests are aimed at unleashing mayhem on the polity and innocent citizens.
“All officers and men of the Nigeria Police are hereby directed to act and deal decisively with any act of arson, intimidation or harassment of any citizen, threat to lives and properties, breach of peace and any act of criminality that may arise or flow from the planned protest in any part of the country.
“Perpetrators of any crime will be arrested and promptly prosecuted”, he added.
