At least 467 Nigerians were killed across four states—Kaduna, Benue, Katsina, and Plateau—between July and August 2024, according to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The commission disclosed this information on Friday and also reported that around 1,200 #EndBadGovernance protesters had been arrested and detained by security agencies nationwide.

The NHRC expressed concern that some protesters had been charged in court but were held beyond the constitutionally allowed period before being arraigned. Hillary Ogbona, Senior Human Rights Adviser to the NHRC Executive Secretary, presented the report on the human rights situation in Nigeria for July and August 2024, noting that the commission received 414,200 complaints of human rights abuses during that period.

The report detailed the death toll across states: 142 killings in Kaduna, 137 in Benue, 112 in Katsina, and 76 in Plateau. The NHRC emphasized that protests are a legitimate means for citizens to express dissatisfaction with government policies and should not be criminalized.

Ogbona stated, “The government should not stop protests but guide them. Genuine protesters should not be lumped with criminals.” He condemned looting and destruction of property during protests as acts of criminality, urging the government to support victims whose livelihoods were affected by such actions.

The NHRC urged the government to address the root causes of protests, which are often tied to economic and political issues, and to adopt a human rights-based approach when dealing with lawful protests. The commission called on the Federal Government to properly manage protests as a way for aggrieved Nigerians to express their concerns and avoid potential anarchy.

The NHRC also reported a significant rise in mass killings, abductions, attacks on police stations, and violations of press freedom, as well as violence against children and minors. Speaking earlier, the NHRC Executive Secretary, Prof. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, condemned the excessive use of force by security agents against protesters during the #EndBadGovernance protests, stressing the need for long-term solutions to protect those displaced by violence and unrest.