Hoodlums in their numbers stormed a Living Faith Church in Daura’s local government area of Katsina State and looted about 205 chairs, musical instruments and other valuable items worth millions of naira.
The pastor in charge of the church, David Jato, said the attacks took place in the wake of #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests on Thursday with attendant violent clashes between hoodlums and security operatives.
He explained that as a result of the invasion by the hoodlums, the church could not hold Sunday service in its auditorium, saying that the hoodlums went away with everything inside the church building during the protests.
According to him, “We have two security men working in the church, one was on duty while the other was off. When the protest began around 10:00 am, the hoodlums just diverted to the church, many of them in Keke NAPEP (Tricycle), and broke the doors and glasses and entered the church auditorium.
“They packed everything inside the church auditorium, including the wall digital clock, musical instruments, pulpit, pastor’s chairs, plastic chairs and a desktop computer at the reception, as well as a scoreboard where the accountant usually kept church documents. They scattered everything and went away with them.”
He alleged that three churches were targeted but the hoodlums only succeeded in invading the Living Faith Church and Deeper Life Church but were not successful in forcing themselves into the Anglican Church because of the strong iron protector at the gate.
Jato said the Church leadership has informed the police and the Army about it, saying that the police told them on Saturday that they had made some arrests.
The Pastor expressed surprise by the attack, lamenting that it has now escalated to the invasion of churches, which is something that everyone should seriously condemn.
He lamented, “It is not food that we store in the House of God. It is a place of worship. Why is it only churches? The government should come to the reality they are serving humanity, and God will judge us all, whether political or religious leaders.”
Another Church, Power of Resurrection, according to the former state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Nelson Onyekachukwu, was also affected in Katsina town, where the hoodlums vandalised the church windows but they couldn’t enter because of the iron protectors of the church.
He then condemned the action in totality and called on the government to change its policy and address the grievances of the people and always ensure to protect the church whenever such an incident happens.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Sadiq Abubakar, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state is yet to respond to the message sent to him.
EndBadGovernance: Hoodlums loot church in Katsina
EndBadGovernance: Hoodlums loot church in Katsina
Soyinka condemns attacks on #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has condemned the attacks on #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters and journalists by security agencies.
In a statement on Sunday, Soyinka expressed concern over the Federal Government’s continuing mismanagement of protests.
The poet criticised the use of live bullets and tear gas by the Nigeria Police Force to manage civic protests, saying that such actions would lead to violence.
He said, “I set my alarm clock for this morning to ensure that I did not miss President Bola Tinubu’s impatiently awaited address to the nation on the current unrest across the nation.
“His outline of the government’s remedial action since inception, aimed at warding off just such an outbreak, will undoubtedly receive expert and sustained attention both for effectiveness and in content analysis. My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short.
“Such short-changing of civic deserving, regrettably, goes to arm the security forces in the exercise of impunity and condemns the nation to a seemingly unbreakable cycle of resentment and reprisals.
“Live bullets as a state response to civic protest – that becomes the core issue. Even tear gas remains questionable in most circumstances, certainly an abuse in situations of clearly peaceful protest. Hunger marches constitute a universal S.O.S., not peculiar to the Nigerian nation. They belong indeed in a class of their own, never mind the collateral claims emblazoned on posters.
“They serve as a summons to governance that a breaking point has been reached and, thus, a testing ground for governance awareness of public desperation. The tragic response to the ongoing hunger marches in parts of the nation, and for which notice was served, constitutes a retrogression that takes the nation even further back than the deadly culmination of the watershed ENDSARS protests.
“It evokes pre-independence – that is, colonial – acts of disdain, a passage that induced the late stage pioneer Hubert Ogunde’s folk opera BREAD AND BULLETS, earning that nationalist serial persecution and proscription by the colonial government.”
Soyinka also urged the security agencies to employ alternative methods of addressing civic protests and shun lethal means of dispersing protesters.
He added, “Need we recall the nationwide 2022/23 editions of what is generally known as the YELLOW VEST movement in France? Perhaps it is time to make such scenarios compulsory viewing in policing curriculum. In all of the coverage that I watched, I did not catch one single instance of a gun levelled at protesters, much less fired at them, even during direct physical confrontations.
“The serving of bullets where bread is pleaded is ominous retrogression, and we know what that eventually proves – a prelude to far more desperate upheavals, not excluding revolutions.
“The time is long overdue, surely, to abandon, permanently, the anachronistic resort to lethal means by the security agencies of governance. No nation is so underdeveloped, materially impoverished, or simply internally insecure as to lack the will to set an example. All it takes is to recall its own history, and then exercise the will to commence a lasting transformation, inserting a break in the chain of lethal responses against civic society.
“Today’s marchers may wish to consider adopting the key songs of Hubert Ogunde’s BREAD AND BULLETS if only to inculcate a sense of shame in the continuing failure to transcend the lure of colonial inheritance where we all were at the receiving end. One way or the other, this vicious cycle must be broken.”
Death toll in new Bangladesh anti-government protests rises to 24
Thousands of Bangladeshi protesters demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resign clashed with pro-government supporters Sunday, with at least 24 people killed in confrontations using sticks, knives and guns.
Protesters danced on the roof of an armoured car and, unlike the past month of rallies that repeatedly ended in deadly crackdowns, soldiers and police in several cases did not intervene.
A respected former army chief, Ikbal Karim Bhuiyan, also demanded the government withdraw troops and allow protests in a hugely symbolic rebuke of Hasina.
Demonstrators in Dhaka, surrounded by a tightly packed and cheering crowd, waved a Bangladeshi flag on top of an armoured car as soldiers watched, according to videos on social media verified by AFP.
Rallies against civil service job quotas sparked days of mayhem in July that killed more than 200 people in some of the worst unrest of Hasina’s 15-year tenure.
Troops briefly restored order but crowds returned to the streets in huge numbers this month in a non-cooperation movement aimed at paralysing the government.
Vast crowds of protesters, many wielding sticks, packed into Dhaka’s central Shahbagh Square on Sunday, with street battles in multiple sites as well as in other key cities, police said.
Police have ordered a nationwide curfew beginning at 6:00 pm (1200 GMT), while mobile internet access was widely curbed in a bid to frustrate the organisation of rallies.
– ‘Battleground’ –
Violence on Sunday took the total of people killed to at least 230.
“There were clashes between students and the ruling party men,” police inspector Al Helal told AFP, saying two young men were killed in Dhaka’s Munshiganj district.
“One of the dead was hacked in his head and another had gunshot injuries.”
Another policeman, who asked not to be identified, said “the whole city has turned into a battleground”.
Two people were killed in the northern city of Kishioreganj, where protesters torched a ruling party office, police said.
Police and doctors also reported deaths elsewhere in Dhaka, in the northern districts of Bogra, Pabna, Rangpur and Sylhet, as well as in Magura in the west, Comilla in the east, and Barisal and Feni in the south.
One of the key protest leaders in the nationwide civil disobedience campaign, Asif Mahmud, earlier asked supporters to be ready after last month’s rallies were crushed by police.
“Prepare bamboo sticks and liberate Bangladesh,” he wrote on Facebook Sunday.
Some former military officers have since joined the student movement and ex-army chief General Ikbal Karim Bhuiyan turned his Facebook profile picture red in a show of support.
“We are deeply concerned, troubled and saddened by all the egregious killings, torture, disappearances and mass arrests that have been tormenting Bangladesh over the past three weeks,” Bhuiyan told reporters Sunday, in a joint statement alongside other senior ex-officers.
“We call the incumbent government to withdraw the armed forces from the street immediately,” Bhuiyan said, adding that people “no longer fear to sacrifice their lives”.
“Those who are responsible for pushing people of this country to a state of such an extreme misery will have to be brought to justice.”
– ‘Live freely’ –
Current army chief Waker-uz-Zaman told officers at military headquarters in Dhaka on Saturday the “Bangladesh Army is the symbol of trust of the people”.
“It always stood by the people and will do so for the sake of people and in any need of the state,” he said, according to an army statement, which gave no further details and did not say explicitly whether the army backed the protests.
The protests have grown into a wider anti-government movement across the South Asian nation of some 170 million people.
The mass movement includes people from all strata of Bangladesh society, including film stars, musicians and singers. Rap songs calling for people’s support have spread widely on social media.
“It is no longer about job quotas,” said Sakhawat, a young female protester who gave only one name, as she scrawled graffiti on a wall at a protest site in Dhaka, calling Hasina a “killer”.
“What we want is that our next generation can live freely in the country.”
A group of 47 manufacturers in the economically vital garment sector said Sunday they stood in “solidarity” with the protesters.
Obaidul Quader, general secretary of Hasina’s ruling Awami League, has called on party activists to gather “in every district” nationwide to show their support for the government.
Hasina, 76, has ruled Bangladesh since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.
Her government is accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to entrench its hold on power and stamp out dissent, including through the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.
Demonstrations began in early July over the reintroduction of the quota scheme, which reserved more than half of all government jobs for certain groups. It has since been scaled back by Bangladesh’s top court.
AFP
Otti commends Abia residents for not joining #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has thanked Abian residents for heeding his plea not to join the ongoing hardship protests, which have led to loss of life and property destruction.
Otti expressed his gratitude on Saturday, August 3, while attending Sabbath worship at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, No 1 School Road, in the Aba South Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Recall that Otti had previously appealed to Abians not to join the protests during a private breakfast meeting with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election.
In a state broadcast on July 31, the governor acknowledged the people’s right to peaceful protest but expressed concern that hoodlums might hijack the protests and undermine the progress made under his administration.
Addressing the congregation, who were pleased to have him worship with them, Otti said, “I want to thank you and all Abia people who listened to my plea not to take to the streets, disrupt services and activities, or potentially cause mayhem.”
“The reason is not that conditions are not challenging; far from it. I recognise the difficulties we face today, but two wrongs do not make a right. Many of our people rely on daily earnings—traders, Keke riders, barbers, and taxi drivers — who put food on their tables based on their daily income.”
Otti noted that disrupting the activities of those who depend on daily earnings would only exacerbate the problems the protesters seek to address.
He added, “My plea was for us to discuss matters calmly. I want to thank Abia people for heeding that call. This does not mean we lack the right to protest, but there are more constructive ways to do so. I assure you that our Government has heard not only what you have said but also what you have not said.”
The governor also announced, to the delight of the congregation, that School Road would soon be repaired.
“As I arrived, I noticed the poor condition of this road (School Road). Rest assured, it will be fixed soon,” he said.
He encouraged the church members to focus on their blessings and the positive things God has done for them.
Otti expressed gratitude to the Church for their support since 2015, when he first contested the election, and for their continued support of his administration. He urged them to keep him and the Government in their prayers daily.
In a sermon titled, “Living out the Christian Slogan,” the resident Pastor, Ifeanyichukwu Nwaoguikpe, stressed that God has a specific purpose or mission for everyone on Earth.
He urged Christians to preach the gospel of everlasting life and the second coming of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible book of Matthew 28.
Nwaoguikpe also warned of impending doom and encouraged people to help those in need, illustrating his sermon with the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible.
The officiating ministers of the Church prayed for the governor, his entourage, and the State.
Otti was joined in the service by the lawmaker representing Aba Central State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Ucheonye Stephen; Special Assistant to the Governor on Religious Affairs, Apostle K.C. Wiper; the Mayor of Aba South, Hon. Uche Nwogu; the Abia State Acting Chairman of the Labour Party, Sir Emmanuel Nwaeze Otti; and others.
Despite Tinubu’s plea, #EndBadGovernance protests continue as thugs descend on Lagos protesters
Despite a plea by President Bola Tinubu for protesters in the ongoing EndBadGovernanceInNigeria to shelve their protests and give room for dialogue, the protests have continued in some parts of the country.
In Lagos, violence erupted as suspected thugs attacked the protesters in a bid to disperse them from the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, venue of their gathering.
Trouble started after Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Okafor, who had addressed the protesters left the venue, followed by other security personnel.
Okafor had pleaded with the protesters to go home and await government‘s intervention on their demands.
READ ALSO:12 key takeaways from Tinubu’s broadcast on nation-wide protests
This caused some division among the protesters as some agrees they should leave the venue, but others insisted on continuing the protest.
A lawyer simply identified as JP led the group who urged protesters to leave the venue and go home, based on President Tinubu’s national address earlier in the day. But Adegboyega Adeniji of Peace Action Transformation led another faction that refused to leave the protest venue.
While the arguments were ongoing, a group of individuals, suspected to be thugs, emerged from across the street and began chasing them away.
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Protesters hold church service at protest ground in Jos (Photos)
The ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests to draw attention to the economic situation in the country entered day four on Sunday with protesters still turning out to join the demonstrations.
In Jos, the Plateau State capital, the Christians among the protesters opted to attend church service at the protest ground, as against going to a physical church.
They held a live Sunday service at the protest ground in the Old Airport Junction in Jos with prayers offered for divine intervention in the economic crisis bedeviling Nigerians.
The service was conducted by Prophet Isa El-Buba, who has been part of the hunger protest since August 1, when the protests kicked off.
The continued protest is still ongoing despite a charge by President Bola Tinubu for the organisers to suspend it and give room for dialogue.
The president in a nation-wide protest on Sunday had listed programs his government had put in place to alleviate the hardships on the people.
READ ALSO:FOR THE RECORD: Text of Tinubu’s full speech to address protests across Nigeria
He also justified why he had to remove the subsidy on fuel and take a stand on foreign exchange policies.
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APC chieftain urges end to protests in response to president’s appeal
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged the organisers of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest to listen to President Bola Tinubu and end the protest.
Oyintiloye said that since the President had acknowledged hearing their grievances, they should embrace dialogue as suggested.
The APC chieftain, speaking to newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said that the wanton destruction of property, looting, and killing of innocent Nigerians could not be justified in the name of a protest.
He noted that the reported killing of about 10 persons in Niger, Borno, Kano, and Kaduna during the protest was disheartening.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, acknowledged that there is no doubt about the hunger in the country but stated that going violent against the government and the people was not the best way to address the present situation.
He said shutting down a fragile economy like Nigeria’s for 10 days would be counter-productive, resulting in more suffering for the masses.
The APC chieftain also expressed dismay at the destruction of the federal government’s multi-million naira digital innovation park in Kano, among other properties.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, acknowledged the constitutional right to protest within fundamental human rights but stressed that the protest should be properly managed to avoid escalating into riots.
He said that the protest, which had resulted in killing, looting, and destruction, could no longer be described as a protest but a riot.
He added, “Such riot acts contravene section 71 of the Criminal Code Acts of Nigeria which explicitly states that ‘Any person who takes part in a riot is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.’
“Therefore, protesters must be careful not to allow their activities to be interpreted as a riot, which is a punishable offence.”
Oyintiloye noted that while the organisers of the protest might have genuine reasons for holding a peaceful protest, there were individuals, who could be described as enemies of the nation, who might want to use the protest to destabilise the government.
He appealed to the youths and the organisers to embrace dialogue, adding that President Bola Tinubu meant well for the country.
“I want to appeal to the youths and the organisers of the hunger protest to embrace dialogue and allow the President to do what is needed.
“Protest is a constitutional right, but killings, looting, and destruction of both government and private property are not permitted by the law.
“Let’s be cautious of the fact that there are some disgruntled individuals who are planning to use the protest to destabilise the government. We must not allow this.
“There is no doubt that there is hunger and poverty in the land, but we can rest assured that the President is doing his best to improve the economy, but this cannot be achieved within a year.
“Let’s give the President the chance to address the situation, and let’s embrace dialogue for the peace and stability of the country. The President has spoken; let’s listen to him and give the administration more time,” he said.
Oyintiloye commended the security agencies for their efforts in safeguarding lives and property during the protest and urged them to continue to be professional in the discharge of their duties.
He also appealed to the protesters not to provoke the security agencies, whose responsibility is maintaining law and order in society.
#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria: Hoodlums chase protesters away in Lagos
Some suspected hoodlums on Sunday chased away #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters who had gathered at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in the Ojota area of Lagos State.
According to Channels Television, the hoodlums intervened following a disagreement between two groups of protesters.
It was reported that a legal practitioner, identified only as JP, had urged the protesters to disperse after President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide address called for dialogue and an immediate end to the protests that have been ongoing since Thursday, August 1, 2024.
However, another group, reportedly led by 70-year-old Adegboyega Adeniji of Peace Action Transformation, insisted on remaining at the protest site until further notice.
Following an address by the police to the protesters, who had been chanting solidarity songs, a group of hoodlums emerged from the opposite side of the road and began to disperse the crowd.
In a video seen by our correspondent on X.com and shared by Channels TV, some hoodlums were shown running and wielding clubs.
A voice in the background of the video said, “All the police have run away. Start the car!”
Today, Sunday, August 4, 2024, marks the fourth day of the protest, which has seen incidents of death, looting, and harassment by security operatives across various parts of the country.
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Protest: ‘Terribly underwhelming to read’ – Oby Ezekwesili trashes Tinubu’s Sunday address
Former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s Sunday address to Nigerians concerning the ongoing nationwide protests against bad governance in the country.
The ex-minister said the speech was terribly underwhelming to read.
Ezekwesili said Tinubu’s speech was a monumental missed opportunity to placate citizens with sound answers and an outline of convincing evidence-based actions that his government will take to address bad governance in the country.
The government critic claimed the speech was written from a mindset focused on “getting back at Tinubu’s imaginary enemies.
TVN reported that Tinubu addressed the nation on Sunday concerning the ongoing nationwide protests.
The President in his speech ruled out the return of fuel subsidy and asked organizers of the protest to withdraw from the street.
However, in a statement on her X handle on Sunday, the former Minister said it is unfortunate to see Nigerian public “Leaders” talk and behave like losers on matters of public governance.
She said: “@officialABAT , As one of millions of Nigerians who were at church when you delivered your late-in-coming Speech to Citizens on the #EndBadGovernancelnNigeria protests, let me loudly say it was terribly underwhelming to read.
‘Your Speech reads like a page from your party manifesto and terribly failed to connect to what our Citizens on the Streets are angry and protesting about.
‘Your speech is quite a monumental missed opportunity to placate citizens with sound answers and outline of convincing evidence-based actions that you and your @NigeriaGov will immediately take to address the priority #BadGovernance concerns.
“Your Speech was sadly again written out of a mindset that is focused on “getting back at our enemies”. Imaginary enemies at that! No true Leader has the luxury of having “enemies” among their Citizens. Not at all. A Public Leader becomes the Leader of ALL with a mind that does not think of any as their enemies.
“This is why it is ever unfortunate to see Nigerian public “Leaders” talk and behave like Losers on matters of public governance where they are expected to rally their ALL Citizens behind the common purpose of nation building.
“It is nauseating to observe this recurrent innate unwillingness of Nigerian public leaders to admit responsibility for the demands of the same public leadership that they kill and maim citizens to assume.
“@officialABAT, Citizens know when they are being badly governed and from what one can see, Nigerians have now realized that they must collectively speak up and take action otherwise their self-obsessed rulers (and not leaders) will not pay them any heed at all.
“As we remember and pray for families of all our citizens mauled down or maimed for demanding an End to Bad Governance, let me call on you @officialABAT to immediately instruct the IG @PoliceNG and his men to “STOP KILLING PEACEFUL PROTESTERS NOW!”
“Also fish out all law enforcement personnel that have killed and maimed citizens and ensure they are sanctioned as a deterrence to their colleagues.”
Protest: ‘Terribly underwhelming to read’ – Oby Ezekwesili trashes Tinubu’s Sunday address
SERAP asks Commonwealth to sanction Nigeria over attacks on journalists, protesters
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an urgent appeal to Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, urging her to “apply the Commonwealth Charter to hold the Nigerian authorities to account over reports of attacks on journalists covering the #EndHunger protests and peaceful protesters in some parts of the country.”
SERAP urged Ms Scotland to “apply the Commonwealth Charter to press the Nigerian authorities to promptly, thoroughly, impartially, independently, transparently and effectively investigate reports of attacks on journalists covering the protests’ in Nigeria and on peaceful protesters.”
SERAP also urged Ms Scotland to “press the Nigerian authorities to publish the outcome of any investigation and to hold suspected perpetrators to account and ensure access to justice and effective remedies for the affected journalists and peaceful protesters for any violations of domestic law and international standards.”
SERAP urged Ms Scotland to “press the Nigerian authorities to uphold the rights of journalists to monitor and report on protests and ensure their safety, as well as ensure that journalists are not detained, threatened, attacked or restricted when covering noteworthy events of interest to the public, such as protests.”
In the Urgent Appeal dated 3 August 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The targeting of journalists with lethal or less-lethal force for doing their work is prohibited under the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights law and contrary to best law enforcement standards.”
SERAP said, “Those violating such standards must be subject to accountability and disciplinary processes. The Commonwealth should take a clear stand to ensure accountability of institutions, media freedom and peaceful assembly in Nigeria.”
The Urgent Appeal, copied to Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; and Mr Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, read in part: “The Nigerian authorities over the years have repeatedly demonstrated that it is not committed to protecting human rights.
“Respect for Commonwealth values is essential for citizens to trust Commonwealth institutions. The Commonwealth ought to take a strong stand for protection of human rights and media freedom in Nigeria, principles which are fundamental to the Commonwealth’s integrity, functioning and effectiveness of its institutions.
“Nigerian authorities have the legal obligations to protect journalists reporting the news, including covering protests. Nigerian authorities also have an obligation to investigate and punish any violation that occurs within the framework of a public demonstration including attacks on the press.
READ ALSO:SERAP writes Tinubu over N729bn suit against ex-Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Umar-Farouk
“The Commonwealth Charter and declarations recognise media freedom and the inalienable right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly, access to information, and media freedom, which apply both offline and online.
“Any peaceful protesters and journalists detained solely because of their exercise of the right to peaceful assembly and covering the protests should be immediately and unconditionally released.
“Law enforcement officers should only resort to force in ‘exceptional’ circumstances. Any use of force must only be the minimum amount necessary, targeted at specific individuals, and proportionate to the threat posed.
“The restrictions on the use of force including against journalists covering protests are even more important when security agents use lethal force such as firearms.
“The Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and human rights treaties including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights contain language protecting the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.
“Nigerian authorities have the obligation to consistently promote a culture of accountability for law enforcement officials during protests. Any use of force must be investigated to determine whether the force was necessary and proportionate.
“Nigerian authorities have an obligation to investigate effectively, impartially and in a timely manner any allegation or reasonable suspicion of unlawful use of force or other violations by law enforcement officials in the context of protests.
“The presence of journalists in protests promotes transparency and accountability and can deter the commission of such violations and abuses. To assume such a role, journalists have the right to observe, and by extension monitor, protests and to record reactions to protests by officials or other actors.
“Journalists play an essential watchdog role covering protests. Nigerian security agents have the duty to ensure the safety of journalists who are covering protests and to guarantee the right of the public to seek and receive information about these social mobilisations.
“Nigerian authorities must afford journalists the highest degree of protection in order for them to perform their work freely. This obligation includes both the duty to avoid the use or threat of force against journalists and to protect journalists against third party violence.
“The confiscation, seizure, and/or destruction of notes and visual or audio recording equipment of journalists without due process should be prohibited and punished.
“Even if an assembly is declared unlawful or is dispersed, that does not terminate the right of journalists to monitor protests. Nigerian authorities have a legal obligation to adequately compensate journalists for any damaged equipment.
“According to our information, security agents attacked journalists and some peaceful protesters in Abuja and other parts of the country. Security agents reportedly tear gassed and shot at journalists and peaceful protesters, chasing and shooting at fleeing journalists.”
“According to reports, bullets pierced a Premium Times reporter’s car conveying journalists out of the location at three different locations in Abuja. Journalists inside the car shot by security agents are those of The PUNCH, The Cable, Premium Times, and Peoples Gazette.”
“Also, a commuter vehicle’s glass was reportedly shattered with bullets. These journalists visibly identified themselves as press. Security agents also reportedly arrested a freelance journalist, Ayoola Babalola and some peaceful protesters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on Saturday.”
“Over 50 journalists have been reportedly arrested simply for covering the protests.” Journalist Abdulqudus Ogundapo reportedly said he was scared for his safety when caught in the gunfire.”
“On Thursday, some law enforcement officials reportedly abducted and carted away the camera and phones of The PUNCH photojournalist, Kayode Jaiyeola. On Friday in the Federal Capital Territory, police officers reportedly fired teargas at journalists covering the protest at the Berger roundabout.”
“In Borno State, nine Radio Ndarason Internationale staff members were reportedly arrested by security officials in Maiduguri as they were covering the protests.”
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