Reports of ongoing human rights abuses by the Nigerian Police have emerged from Amnesty International Nigeria, four years after the #EndSARS protests in October 2020. These abuses include unlawful detention, extortion, torture, and sexual violence.
The #EndSARS protests, which took place from October 1 to 20, 2020, aimed to end police brutality, particularly from the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The protests ended abruptly on October 20, 2020, following tragic events at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, where military personnel allegedly opened fire on demonstrators.
In a statement released on Sunday, Amnesty International called on the Nigerian government to tackle these ongoing police abuses, which perpetuate a culture of impunity and leave citizens exposed to the very violations that led to the #EndSARS movement. Isa Sanusi, Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, remarked, “We continue to receive nearly daily reports of human rights violations by the police across Nigeria, including unlawful detention, extortion, torture, sexual violence, and in some cases, extrajudicial killings.”
Sanusi stressed that the Nigerian authorities have a critical opportunity to reform the police into an institution committed to human rights. “This chance must not be missed by failing to hold the police accountable for their actions. We are gradually returning to the alarming conditions that existed before #EndSARS, where the police act as if they have unchecked power to violate human rights,” he warned.
He urged the government to fulfill its promises to address police abuses, in line with Nigeria’s obligations under both national and international law. “All atrocities before and after the #EndSARS protests must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must face justice,” he insisted.
Amnesty also cited instances of extrajudicial killings by police in the four years since the protests, highlighting the need for accountability. Among those mentioned were Jumoke Oyeleke, who was shot during a rally in Lagos, and 18-year-old Mosurat Ojuade, killed by a police officer in September 2021. Other tragic cases include Paul Durowaiye, shot over a dispute regarding sachet water, and Bolanle Raheem, a lawyer shot at close range while returning home from church.
The organization pointed out that a government memo dated July 19, 2023, revealed over N61 million had been allocated for the mass burial of 103 individuals identified as victims of the #EndSARS protests. However, the identities of these victims remain undisclosed, and those responsible for the killings have not faced justice.
Additionally, Amnesty noted that among Nigeria’s 36 states, only Lagos has made the findings of its #EndSARS judicial panel public. Only Ekiti, Osun, and the Federal Capital Territory have provided full compensation to victims and their families, while seven states—Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara—have yet to establish any form of judicial panel.
