ActionAid Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to protect the rights and safety of Nigerian youths preparing for a nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1st. The organization stressed the importance of upholding citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and protest.
As an NGO dedicated to social justice, human rights, and poverty eradication, ActionAid Nigeria is part of ActionAid International, a global federation of NGOs operating in over 45 countries.
In a statement on Monday, the Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, said, “We firmly support citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and protest. Every Nigerian has the inalienable right to voice their grievances and demand accountability from their government without fear of violence or retribution.”
The statement highlighted the government’s failure to address citizens’ concerns, leading to repeated violent clampdowns on protesters.
It said, “The federal government must not allow the violent repression of peaceful protesters to continually repeat itself. Any such actions would be a severe violation of human rights and undermine the democratic principles that our nation strives to uphold.”
ActionAid Nigeria demanded that the government address the root causes of the protest, provide adequate protection for protesters, and commit to preventing violent repression.
The organization also appealed to protesters to maintain peace and order during demonstrations.
It added, “We also enjoin citizens and politicians inclined to form anti-protest groups to respect the rights of their fellow Nigerians to peaceful assembly, and any violations of these rights must be met with the full extent of the law.”
