NBA Pledges Legal Action Over Killings in #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protests

The Suleja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has announced plans to pursue legal action against security agencies following the alleged killing of six protesters in Niger State during the August 1 #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria youth protest.

The NBA criticized the actions of the security agencies, asserting that they violated the victims’ rights to protest. A monitoring committee of lawyers has been formed to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Abdullahi Liman, Chairman of the Suleja branch, visited the home of one of the deceased, Yahaya Isah, to collect credible information for further action. He stated, “The national level of the NBA has directed all branches to establish monitoring committees concerning the protest. I visited the victim’s house to confirm the information about the shooting and saw the corpse myself.”

Despite the police being unable to immediately confirm the incident, the NBA confirmed the deaths. The association had previously promised to provide pro bono legal services to peaceful protesters who face assault or intimidation, with all 130 branches across the country monitoring the protests.

The protest turned violent when some participants attempted to storm the Suleja Police Station, leading to the exchange of teargas. In the process of dispersing the protesters, the police allegedly shot several of them, resulting in four deaths at the scene and two more as they were being taken to Gwagwalada General Hospital.