According to a new report by the NGO Amnesty International, at least 21 people were killed by law enforcement agents during the days of protests against rising prices and “bad governance” in Nigeria last week.
The mobilization of these anti-cost-of-living protests, which began Thursday August 1 and brought together thousands of people across the country, weakened over the days following police repression. Police used tear gas and fired into the air in several cities, including the capital Abuja and Kano (north), the country’s second-largest city, as journalists observed.
A previous report by the NGO last week put the death toll at 13. Seven other people were killed in Kano and another in Azare, two towns in the north of the country, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International’s director in Nigeria, said on Wednesday.
The police and army denied any responsibility. The Maiduguri police said that four people had been killed in explosions, but gave no further details. Isa Sanusi added that Amnesty was investigating other deaths during the protests.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is going through a serious economic crisis, following reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who came to power in May 2023. Food inflation exceeds 40% and petrol prices have tripled.