Amnesty International has reported that more than 1,000 #EndBadGovernance protesters are currently being held in prison custody across Nigeria, following recent hunger protests.
The protests, which took place between August 1 and 10, turned violent in some areas, leading to incidents of looting and vandalism in several states.
On August 6, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced that police had arrested individuals believed to be sponsors of the rioters, some of whom had hoisted foreign flags, and called for a change of government in states like Kano, Kaduna, and Zamfara.
In a statement posted on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, Amnesty International accused the Nigerian authorities of intensifying their crackdown on peaceful protesters. The organisation revealed that over 100 protesters had been arraigned in court, including 441 individuals in Kano, and warned that these trials could be unfair and based on trumped-up charges.
Amnesty International reiterated its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arrested, emphasising the importance of upholding the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression in Nigeria.
