Politics Amnesty criticizes killing of protesters in Nigeria
Protests continue in the West African country of Nigeria, even after several deaths and curfews. Since Thursday, young people in particular have been taking to the streets to demonstrate against economic policy in Africa's most populous country.
02.08.2024, 15:47
SDA
According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, the police are said to have killed 13 peaceful demonstrators, using "deliberately lethal tactics" and live firearms. The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, spoke of a mass riot and looting. There had been unprovoked attacks on security forces. One policeman had been killed.
Protests to last ten days
Curfews are in force in several federal states. However, there were renewed protests in the capital Abuja, the metropolis of Lagos and Port Harcourt, the largest city in the oil region of the Niger Delta. The organizers plan to demonstrate for ten days under the slogan "#EndBadGovernance".
Civil society groups had called for the protests to express their opposition to President Bola Tinubu's economic measures. Shortly after taking office in May 2023, he devalued the national currency and cut fuel subsidies, among other things.
Oil-rich Nigeria is largely affected by corruption, poverty and severe violence by bandits and terrorists. At the same time, entrepreneurship and pop culture are booming in the metropolitan areas of this coastal state with more than 220 million inhabitants, more than half of whom are under the age of 17. Many Nigerians want to leave the country and build their lives elsewhere. Protests led by young people have also caused unrest in Kenya and Uganda in recent weeks.
