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A scathing report by the Civil Society Protest Monitoring Situation Room has condemned the excessive use of force by security agents during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria nationwide protests, resulting in 21 deaths, 175 injuries, and 1,154 arrests. The report also criticized the Nigerian police force for their lack of professionalism and tactical capacity in managing civil protests.

The protests, which began on August 1, 2024, were organized by civil society groups to demand an end to bad governance, corruption, and economic hardship in Nigeria. However, the peaceful protests were met with brute force and violence from security agents, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights groups and civil society organizations.

According to the report, the police used live ammunition, tear gas, and batons to disperse protesters, resulting in the deaths of 21 people and injuries to 175 others. The report also stated that 1,154 people were arrested during the protests, with many still being held in detention.

The Civil Society Situation Room expressed strong condemnation of the “brute force and violence unleashed on unarmed protesters” and called on the Inspector General of Police to rein in his men. The report also decried the looting and vandalization of properties worth billions of naira, mostly in Northern states, by unknown persons suspected to be sponsored to discredit the peaceful protests.

“The use of excessive force by security agents is unacceptable and a clear violation of human rights,” said Olawale Okunniyi, Head of the Coordinating Secretariat of the United Action Front of Civil Society. “We call on the government to engage with protest leaders to address their demands and find a peaceful resolution to the crisis.”

The Civil Society leaders called on the government to engage with protest leaders to address their demands, which include:

• Reduction of fuel price to pre-January 2023 price of ₦167 per liter
• Reduction of electricity tariff to pre-December 2022 price
• Implementation of free conversion of vehicles to use affordable Compress Natural Gas (CNG)
• Presidential action to plug corruption, profligacy, and waste in government
• Reduction of high cost of governance by slashing emoluments and allowances of government officials and political office holders by 50%
• Urgent democratic constitutional reconfiguration of Nigeria’s governance structure

The report concluded that urgent government engagement with protest leaders would douse growing tensions and avert further protests and strikes.