Coalition faults Amnesty International’'s Report on End Bad Governance Protest

...Says Report full of speculation, unsubstantiated facts 

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has faulted the recent report by the Amnesty International on the August 2024 End Bad Governance Protest in Nigeria. 

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, one of the leaders of the coalition, Gbenga Soloki, said it has reviewed the report by Amnesty International with great concern and disappointment. 

The coalition acknowledged that Amnesty International is a respected global human rights organization, but it found their report to be ill-conceived, biased, and an inaccurate reflection of the events that characterized the protests in northern Nigeria in August 2024.

It said: "We are particularly alarmed by the deliberate omissions and misrepresentations in the report that paint a one-sided, distorted picture of the protests.

"Amnesty International’s report claims that at least twenty-four (24) people were killed by security forces during the protests in six northern states. 

"While we do not condone the use of excessive force by security personnel, we must highlight that the report fails to acknowledge key facts that would provide a clearer understanding of the situation.

"The violence that erupted during the August protests was not one-sided. Yes, there were tragic incidents where innocent lives were lost, but the report completely disregards the widespread violence, looting, and destruction that took place during these protests in several northern states, including Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe.

"The Amnesty report fails to mention the violent attacks on security personnel, including the brutal murder of a police officer and the injury of several others. 

"These facts are not inconsequential, as they point to the escalation of violence during the protests, which could not have been ignored in any accurate account of the events.

"We are particularly surprised by Amnesty International’s glaring omission of the truth surrounding the violence that marked the protests. 

"In several northern states, protesters did not merely engage in peaceful demonstrations. In fact, many of these protests devolved into violent riots that saw large-scale looting, destruction of public property, and assaults on security personnel. 

"Markets, businesses, and private properties were ransacked in broad daylight by those claiming to protest the government.

"How does Amnesty International fail to acknowledge the violent elements among the protesters? How is it that the organization chose to ignore the reality on the ground, where criminal elements infiltrated the protests, causing chaos, terror, and harm?"

According to the coalition, these elements were not protesting governance; they were criminal actors engaging in robbery, arson, and violence. 

It noted that the report failed to account for this critical aspect of the protest, which is essential to understanding the security agencies’ response.