A Coalition of civil society organisations has faulted Amnesty International’s report on the #Endbadgovernance protest in August last year, saying it was ill-conceived, biased, and inaccurate.
Addressing the press in Lagos, the coalition leaders, Comrades Gbenga Soloki, Shina Loremikan, Mogbojuri Kayode, and Rasaq Oladosu, said they reviewed the report released by Amnesty International Nigeria in November with great concern and disappointment.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Comrades Soloki said. At the same time, they acknowledge that Amnesty International is a respected global human rights organisation; they are particularly alarmed by the deliberate omissions and misrepresentations in the report that paint a one-sided, distorted picture of the protests.
“However, as civil society groups, we must respond when narratives that contradict the truth are presented, mainly when these narratives distort public perception and create false equivalencies in the context of national protests. In this light, we address the recent report by Amnesty International Nigeria, titled “Bloody August.
“As we carefully examine the sources cited in the report, we find that many are either unverifiable or based on anonymous accounts that lack transparency.
“This is highly concerning, especially considering the gravity of the allegations contained in the report. Amnesty International, an organization with a global reputation, should have adhered to higher standards of research, data collection, and engagement with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the findings were balanced and rooted in verifiable facts.”
The CSOs noted that if amnesty should raise any claim about the number of people who died in the protest, it should be a verifiable fact that can be substantiated and not just rely on information that cannot be substantiated.
The civil society organisations said the violence that erupted during the August protests was not one-sided. “Yes, there were tragic incidents where innocent lives were lost, but the report completely disregards the widespread violence, looting, and destruction that took place during these protests in several northern states, including Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, and Gombe.’’
Amnesty International’s report claimed that security forces killed at least 24 people during the protests in six northern states.
