Amnesty International, a human rights organization, has denounced the violent disruption of a nonviolent demonstration in Ibadan, Oyo State, and urged the authorities to look into the matter and prosecute the perpetrators.
Amnesty International stated in a statement on Thursday that protestors calling for an end to the ongoing kidnapping of kids around Nigeria were attacked by a group of people purportedly paid to disrupt the demonstration.
The group claims that on Tuesday, June 2, protestors marching under the hashtag #BringBackOurPupilsAndTeachers from the Mokola district toward Bodija were attacked in the Sango neighborhood of
The Take It Back Movement organized the demonstration with the intention of bringing attention to what they saw as the authorities’ inadequate protection of schools, students, and teachers against attacks by armed groups.
According to Amnesty International, a number of demonstrators were hurt during the assault, while cars were damaged and personal items were taken.
The group declared, “The authorities must look into this incident and make sure the attackers are held accountable in fair trials.”
The rights group also warned that the fundamental right to freedom of assembly is threatened by what it described as an increasing trend of using thugs to obstruct peaceful protests.
People’s freedom to peaceful protest must be unrestricted. According to Amnesty International, “any act capable of undermining freedom of assembly is illegal and portrays unacceptable intolerance of peaceful dissent.”
The group called on Nigerian authorities to preserve citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and make sure that people taking part in legal protests are shielded from intimidation and violence.
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