Nigerian govt denies human rights abuses despite evidence to the contrary

Despite the killing of protesters by law enforcement officials, as well as the arrest and detention of journalists and activists, the Nigerian government says the incumbent Bola Tinubu administration does not abuse human rights.

The government was responding to criticisms by the Trade Union Congress in the United Kingdom following the arrest and temporary detention of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero.

“The Nigerian government was wrongly and falsely accused of rights abuse because the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, was stopped from travelling abroad after he snubbed the invitation of a law enforcement agency conducting an ongoing investigation,” Bayo Onanuga, a media aide to President Bola Tinubu, wrote in a Tuesday statement.

Mr Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning at the Abuja airport and prevented from travelling to the UK for the TUC conference. He was later released on Monday night.

Mr Onanuga argued that Mr Ajaero’s arrest was justified and accused the labour leader of refusing to honour a law enforcement agency’s invitation.

“The Nigerian government was wrongly and falsely accused of rights abuse because the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, was stopped from travelling abroad after he snubbed the invitation of a law enforcement agency conducting an ongoing investigation,” Mr Onanuga wrote.

He then claimed that there are no human rights violations by the Nigerian government.

“We, therefore, reject any notion and allusion to human rights violations in Nigeria,” he wrote.

However, contrary to Mr Onanuga’s claims, PREMIUM TIMES and other media organisations and human rights groups have documented several cases of human rights abuses by security agencies under the Tinubu administration.

These include the killing of many protesters and passersby during the recent #EndBadGovernance protest as well as the arrest and detention of several journalists and activists.

The #Endbadgovernance protesters were mostly young Nigerians expressing their grievances on the high cost of living, food shortages, and government mismanagement. Many marchers called on President Tinubu to address systemic corruption and reverse controversial economic reforms that he passed last year.

The protests turned violent and led to the destruction and looting of government and private properties in many Northern Nigerian cities.

On multiple occasions, the police fired teargas at peaceful protesters and journalists covering the protests at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium.

Over a dozen protesters and passersby were killed by security officials during the protests. President Tinubu has yet to acknowledge the killings or authorise an investigation.

The police also arrested over a thousand protesters, 10 of whom are currently facing charges of treason.

After more than one year in office as Nigeria’s president, Amnesty International said Mr Tinubu has failed to uphold human rights in the country.

In a document titled, “Nigeria: Human Rights Agenda 2023,” the group said rights to freedom of expression and media freedom are “routinely violated” under the current administration.

Referencing instances where security forces threaten, arrest and detain journalists and human rights defenders, Amnesty International said attacks on journalists are at a record high.

In the last eight months, more than 40 Nigerian journalists have faced a form of harassment while carrying out their constitutional duties. Officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), under the leadership of Inspector General (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, were the most prominent perpetrators, accounting for nearly half of the verified cases of harassment.