Nigeria

• Nigeria: Respect People’s Right to Protest, Guarantee Constitutional Human Rights

   

  Twelve international and Nigerian civil society organizations call upon the government of Nigeria to respect people’s rights to protest as guaranteed by the nation’s constitution and its international human rights obligations. The signatories, a coalition supported by CIVICUS global civil society alliance, condemn the violent repression of Nigerians' right to peaceful protest.

  Nigerians, across the country, have been peacefully protesting under the #EndBadGovernance banner, demanding an end to rising poverty and inequality. The country has the highest number of poor people in the world, with 60 million people unemployed. The inflation is nearly 35%, and the currency value has halved in the past year.

  President Bola Tinubu's call for a pause in protests as an “an opportunity for dialogue,” has not been backed up by an end to violent crackdowns on protesters. The government is accountable for guaranteeing people’s right to protest, safeguarding citizen rights, and any breach of these rights. Thirteen people have been killed, many injured, and hundreds have been detained, according to reports.

  The fundamental rights of citizens to express themselves peacefully, come together and protest for their rights and wellbeing is granted under Section 39 of the 1999 national constitution. The government is bound by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

  However, in response, the government has harassed protesters. Police have used teargas and live ammunition and placed cities like Kano and Borno under 24-hour curfews. The authorities have tried to discredit the citizens’ legitimate and peacefully expressed concerns.

  The current government’s response parallels the brutal oppression of past civil protests between 1980-2020, aimed at holding the government accountable.

  We demand that Nigerian authorities: 

  1. Respect Constitutional Rights: Uphold the constitutional guarantees and duties related to the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of opinion and expression.
  2. Safeguard peaceful protesters: Police should facilitate safety, designate routes and provide adequate security for peaceful citizens as they express their demands.
  3. Honor international obligations:Comply with international commitments, including the ICCPR and the African Charter, and adhere to General Comment No. 37 and the “Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa.”
  4. Release those arrested for exercising the right to peaceful assembly: Immediately and unconditionally release all individuals arbitrarily arrested during the protests.
  5. Deliver justice for protesters killed or harmed:Provide reparations to those affected and their families. Set up an independent investigation and hold to account the perpetrators.  
  6. Engage with protestors and citizens calling for change meaningfully: Address the demands of the #EndBadGovernance movement and engage in constructive dialogue.

  We stand with the people of Nigeria as they exercise their right to peaceful assembly. We are committed to supporting the Nigerian people in their quest for justice, equity, and good governance.

  Signed by:

  Signatories are part of the WeRise coalition facilitated by CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance. 

  • Access Center for Human Rights
  • Accionar - Mexico
  • Acter
  • Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)
  • CIVICUS
  • Forum Asia
  • HopeBehindBars Africa
  • HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
  • Lawyers Alert
  • Salam for Democracy and Human Rights
  • Talanta Africa - TA
  • ​​We Women Lanka Network

  //ends

  Notes to the editors:

  For more information and interview opportunities, please contact:

  Background information:

  The importance of peaceful assembly:

  Peaceful assembly and protest rights are a cornerstone of democracy. It allows citizens to express their views, hold leaders accountable, and advocate for change. The Nigerian government must protect this right and ensure that protests are met with understanding and dialogue, not violence and repression.

  Protest issues and demands:

  A large number of Nigerians are currently protesting against hunger, inflation, and the mismanagement of the nation’s resources. Protests and peaceful assembly are legal, constitutionally protected under the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

  Protesters demand action on two critical issues:

  1. Rising Poverty: Nigeria's currency value has halved in a year, causing inflation to soar to a 28-year high of 35%. Food inflation is severe and over 60 million Nigerians are unemployed. Many international companies are leaving due to the harsh business environment, worsening the situation.
  2. Rising Inequality:  Nigeria has the highest number of poor people in the world and inequality continues to worsen. Government policies have decimated the middle class, leaving the poor even poorer.

  Government response:

  Unfortunately, the Nigerian government has responded with not just intimidation, threats and propaganda but also, excessive force violating citizens’ rights. It flooded the streets with police to stop the protests and to suppress the people's fundamental rights.

  From the anti-SAP protests of the 1980s to the #EndSARS movement in 2020, the government has resorted to threats, intimidation and excessive use of force that results in loss of lives as reaction to citizens right to protest.

• Nigeria: Urgent call to end violence against #EndSARS protesters

  🇳🇬The brutal shooting of peaceful protesters in Lagos by Nigerian security forces is a gross violation of protesters’ rights and those responsible should be held accountable by the authorities https://t.co/wRPTeH4zGu @CyrilRamaphosa @MBuhari @AUC_MoussaFaki #EndSarsNow #EndSARS pic.twitter.com/qVdi0TefX7

  — CIVICUS (@CIVICUSalliance) October 21, 2020

  The brutal shooting of peaceful protesters in Lagos by Nigerian security forces is a gross violation of protesters’ rights and those responsible should be held accountable by the authorities, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today.

• Nigerian president Buhari must ensure release of journalist Jones Abiri

  President Muhammadu Buhari
  Aso Villa, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, 
  The Three Arms Zone, Asokoro, 
  Abuja, FTC, Nigeria

  Dear President Muhammadu Buhari,

  We at the Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-profit organization that champions press freedom internationally, and 18 other organizations, are writing to call for the release of journalist Jones Abiri, who has been held by Nigeria's Department of State Security (DSS) for nearly two years, and to call for DSS to be held accountable for its attacks against journalists in Nigeria.

  We were disappointed that, after repeated requests during CPJ's visit to Nigeria in April 2018, we were not permitted to visit Abiri in detention. In a meeting with CPJ on April 24, 2018, Garba Shehu, your presidential spokesperson, confirmed that Abiri remained in DSS custody and said he would be charged in court on allegations of being a militant. Yet after almost two years behind bars, Abiri has not seen a courtroom, nor has his family been given any information about his health and well-being.

  The DSS operates under Nigeria's coordinator of national security, which reports directly to you, according to the 1986 National Security Agencies Act. During a visit to State House in April, Garba Shehu also told CPJ that you would be made personally aware of Abiri's ongoing detention. We therefore call for your swift action to ensure Abiri's release and that those responsible for his prolonged and illegal detention are held accountable.

  In February and March 2018, the DSS also arrested Tony Ezimakor, the Abuja bureau chief of the privately owned Daily Independent newspaper. CPJ documented Ezimakor's week-long detention without charge or court appearance, during which the DSS threatened the journalist with terrorism charges for his reporting.

  Over the last two years, CPJ has repeatedly tried to contact Lawal Musa Daura, director general of the DSS, and Gbeteng Bassi, director of operations of the DSS, without success. Nigerian journalists have similarly told CPJ, with dismay, that they are unable to reach the DSS for comment, regarding the arrest of their colleagues or otherwise. During the same April 2018 meeting with CPJ, Garba Shehu confirmed that the DSS has not designated anyone responsible for communicating with the Nigerian public. We urge you to improve accountability and make the DSS accessible to the press. This includes the appointment of a DSS spokesperson.

  Your action to ensure the safety of journalists and the promotion of open dialogue through the press is made even more important because Nigeria will hold elections in February 2019. Around the world, CPJ has documented how attacks on journalists have escalated during election periods and other political processes. It is in this context that we urge you to take decisive action to ensure that journalists are free to report on matters of public concern, and that a culture of self-censorship does not cloud public decision-making processes. As part of this, Abiri should be released without delay.

  Sincerely,

  Joel Simon
  Executive Director
  Committee to Protect Journalists

  Shu'aibu Usman Leman
  National Secretary
  Nigerian Union of Journalists

  Wade H. McMullen, Jr.
  Managing Attorney
  Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

  Elizabeth Chyrum
  Director
  Human Rights Concern - Eritrea

  David Kode
  Head of Advocacy and Campaigns 
  CIVICUS

  Edmund YaKani
  Executive Director
  Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, South Sudan

  Zohrab Ismayil 
  Programmes Director
  Caucasus Civil Initiatives Center (CCIC)

  Yared Hailemariam
  Director
  Association For Human Rights In Ethiopia (AHRE)

  Dina Meza
  Directora Ejecutiva 
  Asociación por la Democracia y los Derechos Humanos
  ASOPODEHU-Honduras

  Melanie Sonhaye Kombate
  Programs and Advocacy Director
  West African Human Rights Defenders Network (ROADDH/WAHRDN)

  Rahman Gharib
  Chairman
  Metro Center for Journalists Rights & Advocacy

  Alphonsus B.M. Gbanie
  Executive Secretary
  Human Rights Defenders Network- Sierra Leone

  Yemisi Ransome-Kuti
  Founding Executive Director and Board Member, 
  Nigeria Network of NGOs

  Osai Ojigho
  Director
  Amnesty International - Nigeria

  Cristina Palabay
  Secretary General 
  Karapatan - Philippines

  Adilur Khan
  Secretary General
  Odhikar - Bangladesh

  Carles Torner
  Executive Director
  PEN International

  Folu Agoi
  President
  PEN Nigeria

  Sulemana Braimah
  Executive Director
  Media Foundation for West Africa

• Widespread arrests, attacks and legal restrictions facing LGBTQI+ activists across Africa finds new report

  

  Widespread arrests, attacks and legal restrictions facing LGBTQI+ activists across Africa finds new report

  Johannesburg | 4 July, 2023

  • Same-sex relations criminalised in at least 27 countries south of the Sahara
  • Organisations shut down and offices raided for their work on LGBTQI+ rights
  • Widespread bans on the publication of information on gay rights
  • Anti-LGBTQI+ laws and practices disproportionately impact other excluded groups including women, children and victims of abuse 

  From Uganda to Cameroon, LGBTQI+ activists face significant restrictions due to the prevailing social, cultural and legal attitudes towards homosexuality and gender identity. A new report by CIVICUS, Challenging Barriers: Investigating Civic Space Limitations on LGBTQI+ Rights in Africa, looks at some common challenges faced by activists and civil society groups in countries south of the Sahara.

  Many African countries have laws that criminalise same sex activity. The laws, often remnants of colonial era legislation, can be used to target and prosecute LGBTQI+ individuals, including activists. Penalties range from fines, imprisonment to even the death penalty in some countries. 

  Limited legal protection in many African countries offers little or no protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This lack of protection makes it difficult for activists and civil society groups to advocate for equal rights or seek justice when they face human rights abuses. The offices and activities of civil society organisations advocating for LGBTQI+ rights have been either raided or shutdown in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Cameroon.

  Attacks against people who identify as LGBTQI+ are common in countries such as Benin, Cameroon and Kenya. In Cameroon since 2022 there have been over 30 recorded cases of violence and abuse against LGBTQI+ people, while in Kenya sexual minority groups face escalating homophobic attacks. In January 2023, following a series of killings in 2022, unknown assailants murdered and dumped the body of LGBTQI+ activist Edwin Chiloba. Chiloba’s death, which many linked to his sexual orientation sparked public outrage, with civil society groups and members of the public denouncing the murder and calling on the authorities to bring those involved to justice.

  “With the escalating hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community in Africa, this report sheds light on the grave reality faced by many, and compels us to challenge prejudice, and advocate for equality - especially for the most marginalised. Governments must ensure equal protection for all people in accordance with their obligations on non-discrimination under international human rights law. We implore governments to take robust measures to safeguard the rights and well-being of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Sylvia Mbataru, CIVICUS’ Civic Space Researcher for Eastern & Southern Africa.

  Censorship and restrictions on freedom of peaceful assembly have contributed to a deteriorating environment for activists. In several countries, the publication and dissemination of material on LGBTQI+ issues face strict editorial controls and bans. CIVICUS also documents how protests are being suppressed, including the use of various laws to deny permits for public demonstrations, specifically targeting LGBTQI gatherings.

  Despite the hostile environment in many countries, civil society groups continue to advocate for LGBTQI+ rights and score important victories. The report also documents  a number of positive developments including the decriminalization of same sex relations in Botswana and Gabon, as well as a recent Supreme Court decision in Namibia to recognise same-sex marriages concluded abroad between citizens and foreign spouses.

  The report concludes by demonstrating the impact of civic space restrictions against LGBTQI+ groups, and shows how the ramifications of these restrictions also affect other excluded groups including women and children.

  DOWNLOAD REPORT

  

• Worrying legislation to restrict Nigerian civil society sector underway

  CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance and the Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO) are deeply concerned about impending legislation to restrict freedom of association in Nigeria.

  Nigeria’s National Assembly is currently considering a bill to provide for “the establishment of the Non-Governmental Organisations Regulatory Commission for the Supervision, Coordination and Monitoring of Non-Governmental Organisations, Civil Society Organisations etc. in Nigeria and for related matters.” First introduced in July 2016, the bill has since passed through the second reading in the House of Representatives. The bill has now been referred to the Committee on CSOs and Development Partners for further legislative input.

  “The bill is in conflict with Nigeria’s Constitutional and international law obligations,” says Oyebisi Oluseyi, Executive Director of NNNGO. “We must instead strengthen civic space in Nigeria, as our sector’s role in finding solutions to the enormous challenges facing our nation cannot be overemphasized”.