The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) has called for the immediate suspension of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, accusing him of intimidating Amnesty International over its report on the killing of at least 24 protesters during the August 2024 nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests. The protesters were reportedly killed by officers of the Nigeria Police Force during a brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrations.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Secretary, Francis Nwapa, the YRC condemned the police for demanding a public apology from Amnesty International. The police had earlier described the report, titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests,” as baseless and misleading, ordering Amnesty International to retract it.
Nwapa criticized the police’s stance, saying, “The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) strongly condemns the recent statement by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) demanding an apology from Amnesty International. The report exposed the cruel actions of police officers during and after the protests, and it reflects the undeniable truth of the events.”
He further warned the police against bullying Amnesty International or victimizing its staff for revealing misconduct. Nwapa argued that the police, as an accused party, lacked the moral authority to question the report’s validity. Instead, he called for an independent and democratically-constituted panel of inquiry to verify the allegations.
Nwapa added, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s failure to constitute such a panel since the release of Amnesty International’s report is a clear attempt to shield the police from accountability. This is even more troubling given that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has corroborated Amnesty International’s findings.”
The NHRC, through its Executive Secretary, Chief Tony Ojukwu SAN, had earlier confirmed the extrajudicial killing of at least 27 protesters during the demonstrations, further substantiating Amnesty International’s claims. Nwapa questioned why the police had not demanded a retraction from the NHRC as well.
The YRC’s statement demanded the immediate suspension of IGP Kayode Egbetokun to enable a transparent investigation into the alleged abuses. It also called for the creation of an independent probe panel composed of representatives from civil society organizations, professional bodies like the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), media groups, trade unions, and youth associations.
The group listed its specific demands as follows:
- The prosecution of all police officers and other security personnel responsible for the killings and abuses during the protests.
- The immediate suspension of IGP Kayode Egbetokun to ensure an impartial investigation into the allegations.
- The establishment of an independent panel to investigate allegations of excessive force, live ammunition use, killings, torture, and other human rights violations during the protests.
The YRC concluded by reaffirming its solidarity with Amnesty International and others advocating for justice and accountability.
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