The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged United Nations Special Procedures to urgently investigate the reported deaths of 37 young people in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.
The rights organisation also called for an independent probe into the reported use of lethal force against protesters in Minna, the state capital, following the deaths in custody.
According to SERAP, at least two protesters were reportedly killed during demonstrations, while others were allegedly shot and left with serious injuries.
The organisation said the protests followed the deaths of the 37 detainees, including young people reportedly arrested by the NSCDC in connection with alleged illegal mining activities. SERAP said reports of security personnel using live ammunition against protesters raised concerns about whether excessive or disproportionate force was used.
It called for a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into both the deaths in custody and the reported shooting of protesters.
The organisation said the incidents raised concerns under Nigeria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly provisions relating to the rights to life, liberty, security of the person and freedom of assembly.
Probe circumstances of 37 deaths
SERAP said the circumstances surrounding each of the 37 deaths must be established, including the causes and manner of death, conditions of detention, treatment of detainees and the conduct of officers involved.
It cited a recommendation made by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions following her 2019 visit to Nigeria that deaths or serious injuries in police custody and alleged extrajudicial executions should be investigated impartially by an independent body.
The organisation urged authorities to preserve evidence and establish the identities of the deceased, as well as the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
SERAP also called for an investigation into whether any detainees were subjected to torture, ill-treatment, neglect or other abuse, and for the identification of officers and commanders who may have been involved.
Calls for investigation into protest shootings
On the Minna protests, SERAP said the right to peaceful assembly is protected under international and regional human rights standards.
It argued that even where a protest becomes disorderly or some participants engage in unlawful conduct, that does not automatically justify the use of lethal force against protesters.
The organisation said investigators should determine the circumstances in which firearms and live ammunition were used, identify protesters who were killed or injured and establish whether the force used was necessary and proportionate.
It also wants authorities to establish whether orders were issued authorising the use of live ammunition and whether less-lethal alternatives were available and considered.
SERAP called for the immediate preservation of CCTV footage, body-camera recordings, mobile-phone videos, photographs, medical records, detention records, firearms and ammunition records, radio communications and operational orders that could assist the investigation.
The group further urged the government to protect protesters, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, witnesses and relatives of victims from intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrest or reprisals.
It asked the UN Special Procedures to communicate with the Nigerian government, demand detailed information on the deaths and injuries, and push for accountability and effective remedies where violations are established.
SERAP said the reported deaths in custody and subsequent events in Minna require urgent international scrutiny, adding that authorities have a responsibility to establish the truth, protect peaceful protest and ensure accountability for unlawful conduct