A Coalition of Civil Society Organizations has condemned the report of Amnesty International on the #Endbadgovernance protest that took place in August last year, saying the report was ill-conceived, biased, and an inaccurate reflection of what happened during the protest.
Addressing the press in Lagos, the leaders of the coalition, Comrades Gbenga Soloki,Shina Loremikan,Mogbojuri Kayode and Rasaq Oladosu said they have reviewed the report released by Amnesty International Nigeria in November.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Comrades Soloki said while they acknowledge that Amnesty International is a respected global human rights organization, 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, it is our duty to respond when narratives that contradict the truth are presented, particularly when these narratives are aimed at distorting public perception and creating false equivalencies in the context of national protests. It is in this light that 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 of them 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 organisation with a global reputation, should have adhered to higher standards of research, data collection, and engagement with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the findings were balanced and rooted in verifiable facts.”
The CSO’s noted that if amnesty should raise any claim about the number of people that died in the protest, it should be a verifiable fact that can be substantiated, and not just relying on information that can’t 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,” the CSOs said.