The Centre for Information Technology and Development has strongly condemned the recent killing of peaceful protesters by the Nigerian Police Force during the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests.
This is contained in statement by the Executive Director of the agency, Y. Z. Ya’u and issued to newsmen in Kano on Sunday.
“CITAD is deeply saddened by the loss of innocent lives and the use of force against citizens exercising their fundamental and democratic rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended and other international conversations which Nigeria is a signatory to.
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“The protests, which started on 1st of August, 2024, occurred across various states, including Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Rivers, Plateau, Niger etc., and began as peaceful demonstrations against economic hardship, anti masses government policies and poor governance.
“Unfortunately, these peaceful gatherings have been met with violence and repression by security forces. Reports as of today, 4th August, 2024, indicate that at least six protesters were shot dead in Niger, seven in Kano, four in Borno and two in Kaduna States with additional fatalities and injuries occurring in other regions.
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“CITAD as a CSO working to improve good governance and defend the human rights of the citizens has unequivocally condemned the actions of the Nigerian Police Force and its sister agencies and call for an immediate halt to the use of force against unarmed protesters,” the statement said.
It said while the right to peaceful assembly and expression is enshrined in both Nigerian and international law, these rights must be respected and protected by all.
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“On this note, we call on the security agencies to stop the use of force against the peaceful protesters and the Nigerian government to take immediate actions to conduct investigation on the incidents and hold those responsible accountable.
“In this critical moment, it is imperative for the government to understand that using force will only fuel the situation. Instead, the government should respond in concrete terms to the key demands of the citizens. However, we note with dismay how the President’s speech this morning failed to address this,” the statement said.
