The activists expressed deep concern over the treatment of protesters and critics under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
African activists have condemned the Nigerian government for what they describe as a surge in authoritarianism, arbitrary detention, and the mass incarceration of peaceful #EndBadGovernance protesters and journalists.
The activists expressed deep concern over the treatment of protesters and critics under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“We are concerned about the level of intolerance and cruelty that the regime of President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has consistently meted out to peaceful protesters, journalists, and voices of dissent in Nigeria,” the statement continued.
The group highlighted the detention of over 2,100 protesters, including teenagers, who have been held without charge.
“Nigeria, a supposedly democratic country, arbitrarily arrested over 2,100 protesters, including teenagers, all of whom have been kept incommunicado without any charge and with the support of the courts in Nigeria,” the activists warned.
The case of journalist Isaac Bristol, identified by the police as the person behind the PIDOMNigeria account on X, has drawn particular attention. Bristol, a whistleblower and anti-corruption advocate, was reportedly abducted by security forces on August 5, 2024.
“Mr Isaac Bristol, a well-known whistleblower and anti-corruption journalist, was abducted on August 5, 2024, by more than 15 fully armed operatives of multiple Nigerian security agencies and has since been kept in solitary confinement,” the statement revealed.
The activists expressed serious concern about the conditions of Bristol’s detention.
“We are seriously concerned about the inhuman conditions under which PIDOM is being held, his brutal torture, and his restriction from accessing legal representation, medical attention, and other necessary support for his survival in unlawful detention,” they said.
Calling for action, the statement demanded, “We call on the government of President Tinubu of Nigeria to immediately release all unlawfully detained 2,111 #EndBadGovernance protesters.”
The group emphasized that the Nigerian government would be held accountable for any harm to the detainees.
