A coalition of 67 civil society organisations (CSOs) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and stop the alleged harassment of Amnesty International by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The call follows mounting tension over a report by the rights group on the government’s handling of the #EndBadGovernance protests.
In November 2024, Amnesty International released a report titled ‘Bloody August: Nigerian Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests.’
The report documented the killing of 24 protesters and the arrest of 1,200 others.
The police responded by setting up a special investigation panel to probe the claims and subsequently issued a seven-day ultimatum to Amnesty International, demanding a retraction or face legal action.
In a statement on Wednesday, the CSOs condemned the NPF’s actions, accusing it of “deliberately intimidating, threatening, and targeting Amnesty International.”
They also expressed solidarity with the organisation and called on the Tinubu administration to ensure a safer environment for human rights advocacy in the country.
The CSOs urged the government to conduct an independent investigation into the alleged human rights abuses during the #EndBadGovernance protests and hold those responsible accountable. They emphasised the need for justice for victims and their families.
“The intimidation, harassment, and threat against Amnesty International and the escalating crackdown on the human rights movement in the country must end.
“We call on the government to respect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, as well as the rule of law,” the statement read.
The CSOs also accused the Tinubu-led government of escalating repression against activists, journalists, and human rights defenders.
They called for an immediate end to judicial harassment, intimidation, and other acts of repression, urging the administration to create a conducive environment for civil society organisations to operate freely.
The statement was endorsed by the following civil society organisations (CSOs): 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth Initiative, Accountability Lab, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Amnesty International Nigeria, Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP), BudgIT Foundation, Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Centre for Community Empowerment in Conflict and Peacebuilding, Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CRDDERT), Centre for Global Tolerance and Human Rights, and the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD).
Other signatories include the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Centre for Justice Reform, Centre for Transparency Watch, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Community Life Project (CLP), Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Connected Development (CODE), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Elixir Trust Foundation, Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability, Environmental Rights Action, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Falana and Falana’s Chambers, Global Rights, and Good Governance Team.
The list further includes the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), Human Rights Social Development and Environmental Foundation, Invictus Africa, Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre, Lawyers Alert, Media Initiative for Transparency in Extractive Industries (MITEI), Media Rights Agenda, Mothers and Marginalized Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre), Nigeria Network of NGOs, Open Society on Justice Reform Project, Order Paper, Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN), Partners West Africa, Policy Alert, Praxis, Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), and the Say NO Campaign.
Additional organisations include Sesor Empowerment Foundation, Social Action, Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), State of the Union (SOTU), Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), West Africa Civil Society Forum (WASCSOF), Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Women in Media Communication Initiative (WIM), Women in Mining Nigeria, World Impact Development Foundation, Yiaga Africa, and Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC).
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