#EndBadGovernance: 6 people were confirmed killed in Niger- Report

Seven months after the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria, the CLEEN Foundation has disclosed that six protesters were killed by security personnel in Niger State.

This report however contradicts the then CP Shawulu Danmaman’s report then which said no death was recorded in the state.

Danmaman, who is now an Assistant General of Police (AIG), told Journalists on August 3, 2024, at a briefing that, “I am just returning from Suleja and Tafa LGAs,  where I assessed the situation first-hand. There are no deaths in Niger State.

It should be recalled that the #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place from August 1-10, 2024, began peacefully, but escalated due to tensions.

Speaking at a media and CSO briefing yesterday in Minna, the Executive Director, CLEEN Foundation, Mr. Peter Maduoma, said there is the need for comprehensive reforms in Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies.

While releasing the findings which showed that 23 protesters were killed by law enforcement personnel during the August 2024 nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria, the CLEEN Foundation recommended that there is the need for strengthened accountability, monitoring and reporting mechanisms; regular Human Rights training; community engagement; information management; continuous demilitarisation of crowd management and rights protection.

Mr. Maduoma who was represented by the Programme Manager, Mrs. Chigozirim Okoro, said findings revealed that law enforcement used varying degrees of force, from tear gas to live ammunition, with instances of excessive force leading to injuries and death.

Accordingly, he said “all fatalities were recorded in northern Nigeria. 13 protesters were killed on the first day of the protests, with 10 more deaths occurring on the third day.

“In Niger State, six persons were killed in Suleja and Tafa Local Government Areas. Four persons were killed in Kano, three persons were killed in Kaduna and Borno respectively, two persons each in Katsina and Jigawa while one person each in Bauchi, Gombe and Kebbi states respectively.”

A panel of discussants which had representatives from the Media and CSO highlighted the need for civic education to ensure that everyone understands the purpose of protests and does not use them as cover for criminal activities.