By Wale Odunsi Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Common...
By Wale Odunsi
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has
urged Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, to hold
Nigerian authorities to account for attacks on peaceful End SARS protesters.
The body condemned several reports of human rights
violations and abuses.
SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, in a letter to
Scotland, said sanction against Nigeria will be commensurate with the gravity
of the human rights situation in the country.
The rights group noted that a government that attacks its
own citizens during peaceful protests severely undermines its credibility.
SERAP told the Commonwealth to make clear that respect for
human rights, transparency and the rule of law are fundamental to its
integrity.
The letter said attacks on protesters have constrained the
ability of the people to participate in their own government, and to hold
authorities and public officials to account for corruption.
SERAP said the ongoing events in Nigeria demonstrate
authorities’ determination to suppress all forms of peaceful dissent and
freedom of expression of the Nigerian people.
It regretted that people have been targeted simply for
exercising their fundamental freedoms including their rights to freedom of
peaceful assembly and expression to end police brutality and impunity.
SERAP observed a significant deterioration in the human
rights situation in Nigeria since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office
more than five years ago.
The letter informed the Commonwealth that the Nigerian
government have since 2015 promised to address police brutality and impunity
but have failed to do so.
“Nigeria Police and security agents routinely respond to
peaceful protests with disproportionate use of force, including using live
ammunition, resulting in injuries to many individuals and deaths. Journalists
covering protests have been targeted, some of whom have been beaten simply for
performing their professional duty,” SERAP added.
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