DSS personnel in Kano State have intensified efforts to locate journalists who reported on a press conference held by the parents of victims of police brutality during the #EndBadGovernance protests in August 2024.
The protests, aimed at addressing poor governance, economic hardship, and other significant national challenges, have sparked further controversy after the families of the victims called for justice.
Additionally, personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS), also known as the State Security Service (SSS), have been searching for the addresses of the bereaved parents and the organizers of the press conference.
At the conference, families of the victims killed during the protests urged the government and police authorities to accept responsibility for the deaths and provide compensation.
The press conference, organized by the Victims Support Initiative Nigeria (VSIN) on Monday in Kano, was an emotional call for accountability as families shared their experiences of losing loved ones to police violence.
One journalist visited by security personnel said, “They came to our radio station because on Monday we carried the story about the grievances of the parents of those killed by the police during the August protest.”
The journalist further explained, “They were asking us about the organisers of the press conference and the details of the parents who spoke at the press conference.”
Among the families was Malam Yahya Ibrahim, who lost his son during the protest. Ibrahim called on President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent inquiry into the killings.
He said, “Some of our sons and daughters were not even part of the protest but were killed because of excessive force used by the police. We are ready to provide all the information and evidence.”
Ibrahim, who tragically lost his five-year-old son to a stray bullet in their family compound, spoke on behalf of the families, his voice heavy with grief. “My son was just playing in the compound when a stray bullet cut his life short. This was not an accident but a failure of governance and accountability. We demand justice for all innocent lives lost,” he said.
The VSIN revealed that over 50 families across Nigeria have reported similar tragic losses related to the protests.
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Fatima Yusuf, the coordinator of VSIN, urged the government to set up an independent judicial panel to investigate the killings and ensure justice for the victims’ families.
“These families deserve justice, not silence. The lives lost during the protests are a reminder of the systemic failures we need to fix as a nation,” she said.
Ibrahim, still grieving the loss of his young son, added, “My son was just a little boy playing in our compound. He was too young to even understand what a protest meant, yet a policeman’s bullet took his life.”
He expressed his anger over the Inspector General’s denial of the tragedy, calling it a stark reminder of the lack of accountability. “The Inspector General’s denial of this tragedy only adds to our pain. It’s a stark reminder of how accountability is missing,” Ibrahim said.
The families have demanded a thorough investigation into the police killings and have called for officers responsible for the excessive use of force to be held accountable. They have also pressed for financial compensation for those who lost loved ones or suffered life-altering injuries during the protests.
Ibrahim further explained how the lack of justice has compounded their anguish, leaving many families without closure.
“We won’t stop fighting for justice until those responsible face the consequences,” he vowed.
The families have also appealed to the government to address their grievances and ensure that such tragedies do not occur again.
In a related development, on January 14, 2025, human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, convener of the #RevelationNow Movement, questioned the Nigerian Police Force’s motives for targeting Amnesty International over its report on the police killings during the August 2024 protests.
Sowore raised concerns about a double standard, especially since similar claims were made by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), but the police had not targeted them. “If the police are demanding that Amnesty International retract its report and issue a public apology, they should also extend the same demand to NHRC,” Sowore remarked.
The report in question, published by Amnesty International, alleged that police officers used live ammunition at close range during the protests, killing at least 24 people across various states, including Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, and Niger.
Amnesty International also reported that some victims were shot in the head or torso, while others were suffocated by teargas.
Amnesty International Nigeria’s Director, Isa Sanusi, remarked, “People in Nigeria witnessed unbelievable lawlessness as security personnel fired live ammunition at peaceful protests.” He added, “The death toll could be higher than 24 because of the authorities’ desperate efforts to cover up the atrocities.”