Nigeria accused of injustice over #EndSars deaths
Nigerian authorities have been accused of of failing to ensure justice for the killing of #EndSars protesters in 2020, six months after a judicial panel implicated security forces.
Human Rights Watch has tasked the government to act on the panel’s recommendations and hold those responsible to account.
“The report of the judicial panel of inquiry should not be swept under the rug without any consequences for those responsible for killing and injuring protesters,” it said.
In a statement, it said failure to act on the panel’s recommendations will send a painful message to victims and risks encouraging more violence by security officers.
Hundreds of young people took to the streets of major cities in Nigeria in October 2020 to call for the disbandment of a police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars), in a movement dubbed #EndSars.
Security forces were accused of responding with excessive force, including gunfire.
One of the worst crackdowns was at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos when army and police officers reportedly opened deadly fire on a crowd of protesters.
A panel set up by the Lagos state government in the wake of the protests found in November last year that security forces shot, injured and killed unarmed protesters.
It recommended disciplinary measures and prosecution of army and police officers implicated, as well as payment of compensation to victims.
The report was disputed but the Lagos state government said it fully or partially accepted all but one of the panel’s recommendations, promising to act.
source: bbc
