By Martin Cole-
Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian government of failing to bring to justice those involved in the Lekki tollgate shooting and attempting to cover up.
The campaign group has accused the authorities of continuing to harass and intimidate protest organisers while police brutality continues to be reported.
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The extent of the killing was exposed by the CNN who revealed CCTV footage of the shooting and confirmed the use of live bullets.
The Nigerian authorities denied the accuracy of the report and accused CNN of pedalling fake news, and threatened to impose sanctions on CNN. An open letter was written to the Vice president of CNN by the Nigerian government complaining about the accuracy of their report.
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Since the assault by security forces, which killed at least 12 people, Nigerian authorities have allegedly targeted supporters of the protests against police brutality by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Some of the movement’s supporters have had their bank accounts frozen.
A statement from Amnesty International stated: “Instead of bringing suspected perpetrators to justice and prioritizing genuine police reforms, Nigerian authorities have been abusing their powers by subjecting those who supported the protests to intimidation, harassment and smear campaigns.”
Amnesty said that reports from across Nigeria indicate that police violence is still widespread despite government promises of change.
The campaign body said its investigations indicate that since the #EndSARS protests were violently dispersed several of the movement’s leaders have been arrested, tortured and their bank accounts frozen. Many others have fled into exile.
“Those suspected to be responsible for the killings should be brought to justice in accordance with international fair trial standards,” said Amnesty International Nigeria Director Osai Ojigho.
The rights group are calling for the Nigerian authorities to implement full police reforms as promised during and after the protests.
“Amnesty International is concerned that the Nigerian authorities will continue their current ban on protests and reminds the government of its obligations under the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and international human rights treaties to – which the country is a state party – to allow those who gather peacefully to express their views without fear of arrest or intimidation,” read a statement in part.
The Lekki tollgate shooting of #EndSARS protesters who were demonstrating against police brutality led to the creation of a panel that began sitting in October and for six months.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of SARS-related Abuses and Other Matters have been investigating the shootings, but sources in Nigeria say the army have failed to co-operate with the investigators who have summoned them twice.
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