October 1 protest: HURIWA seeks UN protection for protesters

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, and the United Nations Secretary-General in New York to exert pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to refrain from deploying armed security operatives against peaceful protesters planning to hold demonstrations on October 1, 2024, in protest of rising living costs and bad governance.

The rights group stated that its decision to use mass media to appeal to the United Nations is based on growing evidence that the Nigerian government, under President Tinubu, is preparing to deploy heavily armed security operatives to shoot peaceful demonstrators on October 1, just as over two dozen protesters were allegedly killed during the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests across the country.

HURIWA stated that those responsible for killing peaceful protesters would be identified and brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, for crimes against humanity.

“We are warning the military and police service chiefs, including the head of the nation’s secret police, that they may be held accountable at the ICC in The Hague for the unlawful killings of peaceful protesters in Nigeria, no matter how long it takes to achieve this objective by the organized civil rights community in Nigeria,” HURIWA said in a statement signed by Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, its National Coordinator.

HURIWA expressed shock that nearly two months after many peaceful protesters were extrajudicially killed by armed security forces deployed by the Nigerian government, the United Nations, along with major global democratic leaders such as U.S. President Joe Biden, the Prime Ministers of the UK and Canada, and European Union leaders, have maintained a “conspiratorial silence” regarding the bloodshed.

The group stated that the ongoing suppression of civic space by the government, using the brute force of armed security operatives, threatens constitutional democracy in Nigeria.

HURIWA reminded the UN Human Rights Council of its obligation to protect human rights defenders and ensure that member nations, including Nigeria, which has subscribed to various human rights treaties, respect, uphold, and protect constitutionally guaranteed fundamental freedoms. The group referenced the UNHRC’s official mandate, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, which are essential components of democracy.”

“The right of peaceful assembly includes the right to hold meetings, sit-ins, strikes, rallies, events, or protests, both offline and online.

“The right to freedom of association involves the right of individuals to interact and organize among themselves to collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend common interests. This includes the right to form trade unions.

“Freedom of peaceful assembly and association serve as vehicles for the exercise of many other rights guaranteed under international law, including the rights to freedom of expression and participation in public affairs.

“The right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association is protected by Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

HURIWA reminded the United Nations Human Rights Council that “UN Human Rights has a mandate to promote and protect the right of peaceful assembly and association.”

“This involves providing technical advice, tools, and guidance to all stakeholders on measures needed to facilitate and protect the enjoyment of these rights, as well as conducting monitoring and reporting on how these rights are protected in practice.

“We also provide advice and monitoring of protest management, including the use of force, and support the promotion of dialogue to address the issues underlying protests. Additionally, our work involves advising on the enabling environment and legal framework needed for the operation of associations.”

HURIWA expressed disappointment that both the UN Secretary-General and the President of the UN Human Rights Council failed to protest the alleged unlawful killings of protesters in Nigeria by a democratically elected government led by Tinubu.

“Under no circumstances should the security forces in Nigeria use brute force to quell peaceful protests. We reject the use of state High Courts to undermine constitutional freedoms through subterfuge and ex-parte orders.