SERAP Petitions UN over Violent Attacks on Protesters
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association, Clement Voule, urging him to “publicly express concerns about the growing human rights violations and abuses in Nigeria and call on the authorities to end violent attacks on peaceful protesters and to take urgent measures to respect and protect the rights of all Nigerians to protest anywhere in the country.”
SERAP alleged that Nigerian authorities and police on Monday in Abuja failed to stop attacks on peaceful demonstrators by young men apparently armed with sticks and sharp objects.
It said the police officers who were present did not intervene decisively to stop the attacks or arrest any attackers.
In the petition dated December 24, 2019 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The government of President Muhammadu Buhari is responsible under the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and international law to protect the safety and rights of protesters and create an environment conducive to a diverse and pluralistic expression of ideas and dissent from government policy”. According to SERAP, the wave of protests against repression by both the federal and state authorities illustrates a broken social contract between the authorities and Nigerians.
It added that the authorities have been failing to meet the demands of Nigerians to respect human rights, end restrictions on civic space, obey court orders and ensure the rule of law.
The petition copied to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, read in part: “The failure to hold to account those responsible has continued to increase the vulnerability of protesters and activists in the country.
“We urge you to put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to immediately and thoroughly investigate the attacks, identify the perpetrators and ensure the prosecution of anyone found to be responsible for the violent attacks.