Amnesty International Nigeria’s Director, Isa Sanusi, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to human rights standards and accountability for perpetrators in a recent statement.
“Amnesty International welcomes the ECOWAS Court’s ruling directing the Nigerian government to conduct a new investigation into rights violations during the October 2020 #EndSARS protests,” Sanusi said. The court’s decision followed a case brought by Catherine Udeh and others, addressing harassment and brutality by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The ECOWAS Court in Abuja found violations of rights including liberty, security, freedom of expression and association, assembly, and effective remedy. Amnesty International, serving as a friend of the court, emphasized violations such as the use of lethal force on peaceful protesters and the unlawful dispersal of assemblies.
The #EndSARS protests, which erupted nationwide in October 2020, notably at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, saw security forces firing on demonstrators. The ECOWAS Court specifically found violations against Obianuju Catherine Udeh, Perpetual Kamsi, and Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka, ruling that Nigeria violated their human rights.
