…Demands accountability, Justice
By Henry Uche
As Nigerians mourn the bloody incident that took place by this time and day in the year 2020, an International Civil Society Organisation, Global Rights, has revealed that no fewer than 848 Nigerians lost their lives to extrajudicial violence across the country in the last three years.
This was contained in a statement signed and delivered on Friday, October 20th, 2023, by Abiodun Baiyewu, Executive Director-Global Rights- following investigations and report by its mass atrocity tracker.
According to the report, in the first half of the year, over 127 Nigerians were victims of extrajudicial killings across the country, as a result, many Nigerians are living in fear as a result of brutality from law enforcement agents.
It statement partly reads, “In the meantime, Nigerians continue to live in fear of law enforcement brutality – agents employed with their tax monies to protect them. Global Rights mass atrocities tracker reveals that between 2020 and the first half of 2023, at least 848 lives were tragically lost to extrajudicial violence. Of particular concern is that during the first half of 2023 alone, at least 127 people were victims of extrajudicial killings. These statistics underscore the urgency of addressing this atrocious issue.”
The report warned that failure to address the issue of extrajudicial killings in the country could lead to violence and distrust.
“Impunity only leads to further impunity. Accountability is the only antidote to ending the cycle of atrocities and keeps both government and the governed securely within the contractual boundaries of the constitution. Failure to act on the atrocities of the past will only lead to an ever-enlarging cycle of violence and distrust. When trust dies, a nation ends.
“The right to dissent in governance is a right that cannot be taken away from citizens in a democracy. Peaceful protests and demonstrations are established tools of democratic expression backed by both domestic and international laws and have proven time and again to be critical catalysts for social change,” the report affirmed.
Global Rights reminded political leaders that the ‘Currency of transaction in a democracy is TRUST’, trust that the people elected by citizens would fulfil their governance role of ensuring the welfare and security of all citizens as stipulated by the Constitution, but ‘when trust dies, a nation ends.’
The Civil Group bemoaned that Nigerian people and its government have been running on its bare minimum for years, and the tragic events of 20.10.20 ran it into a deeper deficit, noting that if Nigeria must regains stability and fulfils its aspiration of becoming a state where peace and justice reigns, there must be accountability for the lives that were extrajudicially lost during the #EndSARS protest, and a reconciling of the Nigerian government to its responsibility of ensuring the health and independence of its civic space.
They demanded that the officials responsible for the ugly events of the aforementioned day, must be unveiled, those who gave the orders for protesters to be shot, those who carried out those orders, and those who went to great lengths to cover up evidence of that crime should be arrested and prosecuted.
“The Nigerian government at all levels must take concrete steps towards implementing the recommendations of Judicial panels of Inquiry set up to investigate alleged human rights abuses by the Police. The Government is a continuum and citizens should not be placed in a position where they have to ponder whether the incoming leadership will exhibit the political will to execute these crucial recommendations.
“Nigerian Law enforcement and security apparatus should take concrete steps to reorient itself to ensure zero tolerance for harassment, torture, brutality, and extrajudicial killings; and to citizens, we salute your continued courage and commitment to building a nation on the ethos of participatory governance and respect for human rights – where peace and justice reigns” the group added.