- By Femi Alabi
Amnesty International has rated President Bola Tinubu Low in its international legal obligations to respect and protect human rights, including freedom of religion and expression.
The Organisation in series of post on its X handle said Tinubu’s Administration must be publicly Committed to ending decades of human rights violations by ensuring that suspected perpetrators of past violations are brought to justice
Amnesty International wrote, “Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu’s administration has failed to ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law:
“Amnesty International is again calling on the Nigerian authorities to free all those jailed or on trial over blasphemy accusations. Govt. must urgently wake upto its international legal obligations to respect and protect human rights, including freedom of religion and expression.
The organisation stated that President Tinubu and his administration must publicly be committed to ending decades of human rights violations by ensuring that suspected perpetrators of past violations are brought to justice and implementing safeguards that drastically improve respect for human rights.
It also called on Tinubu to do something urgent to save the Nigerian people from the current economic hardship in the country.
“Nigeria’s sky-high inflation has sharply increased the cost of living. Millions of people are increasingly unable to meet the costs of education, food and healthcare. So far, the Nigerian authorities have failed to mitigate the impact of current hardship on millions of families:
“President Bola Tinubu has failed to address the staggering cost of living crisis — largely triggered by the removal of fuel subsidy and increasing taxation amidst unprecedented inflation.
“Tinubu’s administration must guarantee and ensure respect for the human rights of everyone in the country. In Nigeria, the rights to freedom of expression and media freedom are routinely violated.
The Organisation charged that government must conduct a thorough, impartial, independent, effective and transparent investigation into the counter-insurgency operations carried out in the northeast of the country by security forces.
“Since 2009, the Nigerian military has committed gross human rights violations and crimes under international law, including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and incommunicado detention, in the northeast.
“The authorities must also fully implement findings of the investigation of the killings of peaceful #EndSARS protesters by the military and police at Lekki Toll Gate on 20 October 2020.
“All atrocities committed by the police before and after the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) must be investigated. Victims must also receive compensation, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.”.