#NNAMDIKANU: AMNESTY BLASTS SECURITY FORCES OVER ABUJA PROTEST DISRUPTION
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Amnesty International Nigeria has expressed grave concern regarding reports of law enforcement agencies attempting to suppress peaceful assemblies in Abuja, where demonstrators are advocating for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
In response, the Nigeria Police Force has justified its deployment of tear gas, asserting that security personnel only discharged canisters at demonstrators who were advancing toward Aso Rock, the location of the presidential villa.
The media previously reported that police officers on Monday utilized tear gas to disperse protesters in the Maitama area, compelling them to regroup in Utako to continue their demonstration.
However, armed personnel intervened once more, scattering them and inciting panic, which caused commuters, vendors, and drivers to flee for their safety.
In a statement released on its X account, Amnesty International Nigeria denounced these actions, asserting that any effort to obstruct freedom of assembly is unlawful and indicative of a concerning intolerance towards peaceful protest.
The organization stated, “Amnesty International has received alarming reports of attempts to suppress peaceful protests taking place in Abuja, advocating for the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
“Individuals must be permitted to freely exercise their right to peaceful demonstration.
“Any action that jeopardizes freedom of assembly is unlawful and reflects an unacceptable intolerance of peaceful dissent. ”
The organization has called for an immediate cessation of the crackdown and urged authorities to address the concerns of the protesters.
“The Nigerian government must guarantee that security forces honor and facilitate the right to peaceful protest, as enshrined in both the nation’s constitution and international human rights treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a signatory,” Amnesty emphasized.
Simultaneously, the police, while justifying their use of tear gas, refuted allegations of blocking the road, claiming their personnel only cleared the area after demonstrators obstructed traffic flow.
In a statement issued via his X account on Monday, police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin asserted that the police’s actions were in accordance with an existing court order prohibiting demonstrations in certain sections of the city.
“Police deployed tear gas on protesters attempting to approach Aso Villa in clear violation of a court order barring protests from the Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
“We are the leading law enforcement agency in the country. We executed our responsibilities.
“And we did NOT block the road but cleared it after it was obstructed by the protesters to facilitate smooth passage for other Nigerians to their respective destinations,” Hundeyin stated.
The demonstrators, comprising civil rights advocates and pro-democracy participants, were part of the ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow initiative aimed at pressuring the Federal Government to comply with the 2022 Court of Appeal ruling that exonerated and acquitted Kanu.
Kanu has been detained by the State Security Service since June 2021 while facing charges related to terrorism at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The allegations leveled against him originated from his separatist movement advocating for an autonomous Biafra region, which officials attribute to the incitement of violence and fatalities in various areas of the Southeast.
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