On the third anniversary of the #EndSARS protest, Amnesty International has expressed grave concerns about the continued arbitrary detention of fifteen protesters who were arrested during the 2020 demonstrations in Nigeria. The organization revealed that these individuals are still being held without trial, raising serious questions about the state of human rights in the country.
According to the statement released by the international non-governmental organization, a significant number of the detained protesters have been confined to the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre and Ikoyi Medium Security Correctional Centre in Lagos. The lack of progress in their cases has raised alarms about the fairness of the judicial process in the country.
Furthermore, Amnesty International highlighted that the Nigerian authorities have pressed baseless charges, including theft, arson, possession of unlawful firearms, and even murder against several of the protesters.
Shockingly, some of the detainees have reported being subjected to torture during their confinement, raising further concerns about the treatment of detainees in the Nigerian correctional system.
“Our investigation shows the Nigerian authorities’ utter disdain for human rights. Three years in detention without trial is a travesty of justice. This shows the authorities’ contempt for due process of law. The protesters must be immediately and unconditionally released,” said Isa Sanusi Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
Read also: EndSARS 2020: A National Tragedy, Resilience of Nigeria’s Fallen Heroes
Amnesty International has indicated that seven individuals, namely Daniel Joy-Igbo, Sodiq Adigun, Sunday Okoro, Olumide Fatai, Oluwole Isa, Shehu Anas, and Akiniran Oyetakin, who participated in the #EndSARS protests and were arrested in Lagos in 2020, are currently being detained without fair trial in the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre.
The report has garnered international attention, prompting calls for immediate action from the Nigerian government and the international community to ensure the protection of the rights and fair treatment of the detainees.