End SARS campaigns have been ongoing in Nigeria for a couple of weeks. The last protests sparked mixed reactions as it involved police shooting at peaceful demonstrators. The incident happened on Tuesday evening when officers opened live fire at demonstrators who gathered in Lekki conducting a peaceful strike for justice.
During a presidential briefing, President Buhari promised to look into the matter. He asked prominent figures to ensure the legitimacy of their findings before addressing the public. It appears people all over are condemning the government of Nigeria for its poor governance.
As of now, no one knows the exact number of deaths and fatalities. However, according to witnesses, several people sustained injuries. Some even died on the spot after gunshots.
Osai Ojigho, the director of Amnesty International in Nigeria said that Human Rights had reached the official leaders in Nigeria. He demanded the government to conduct quick investigations as witnesses said the military officers attacked the people. Videos in social media also pointed out that the men in uniform were the military. As such it’s of significance to conduct the investigation.
People need to know why the military was present in the scene. Needless, the victims of the Wednesday clash deserve justice.
A Legal Path to Justice
The human rights law believes when the investigations take a legal path, then there’s a chance they will unveil the truth.
First is the individual answerability of commanders and officers alleged to have perpetrated these acts. By doing so, people could know who is guilty. This is because the Nigerians deserved the right to know the truth and get justice. Some non-protestors have also been affected. During the protests, some innocent citizens who were about their businesses also got hurt. Nigeria as a state is aware of its duty to protect the citizens as per international human rights law. As such the government needs to ensure its citizens are safe.
Many felt President Buhari’s speech on the Tuesday events wasn’t empathetic. It sounded like he was siding with the police. He mentioned some officers in the country who were upright. People now theorize that he had something to do with the shooting that occurred on Tuesday.
Osai Ojigho states that he would wish for the UN and ECOWAS to come out strongly and condemn the violence in Nigeria. He urges these two organizations that this is not the time to stay silent. Instead, they should lead in campaigns endorsing nonviolence. They need to help the people in the fight against police brutality. The NGO director applauds the youths for their resilience and for seeking to be heard.
Outpouring Support
The overwhelming support Nigeria has received in the past two weeks is inspiring. Seeing people from all over the globe marching is solidarity with Nigeria and advocating for good governance was positive. On Wednesday South Africans took to the streets campaigning against violence in Nigeria.
Humanitarians across the globe have also been encouraging online protests. Nigeria is currently in the spotlight. The youths are using this platform to express the abuses they’ve endured.
The demonstrations had unrest as different public figures condemned police violence in Nigeria. The United Nations, ECOWAS, and different countries joined in the protests against police brutality. Many countries engaged in a virtual strike in solidarity with Nigeria. The International Amnesty in the country demanded President Buhari to investigate the events of Tuesday evening.
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