Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has strongly condemned the Nigerian Police Force’s alleged harassment and threat of legal action against Amnesty International Nigeria.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Falana denounced the intimidation and harassment faced by the organization simply for carrying out its legitimate work.
The Nigerian Police had sent a letter on January 6, 2025, demanding that Amnesty International immediately retract and apologize for its publication, “Nigeria: Bloody August: Nigerian government’s violent crackdown on #EndBadGovernance protests.”
The police accused the report of containing “unsubstantiated claims” that falsely accused the police of human rights violations, brutality, and excessive violence during the August 2024 protests.
They insisted that the allegations were “baseless” and demanded a public retraction within seven days or face legal action.
In his response, Falana described the police’s threat of legal action against Amnesty International as an act of reprisal, harassment, and intimidation.
He warned that such actions would create a climate of fear, hindering civil society organizations, activists, human rights defenders, journalists, and ordinary citizens from exercising their rights freely and safely.
Falana also expressed grave concern over the growing disregard for human rights and the erosion of the rule of law in Nigeria.
He called for an end to the intimidation, emphasizing that such behavior contradicts both the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights treaties, which guarantee fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, assembly, and access to justice.
He reminded the Nigerian Police that their duty is to uphold human rights and that the work of activists and civil society groups is crucial to ensuring accountability and promoting rule of law and democracy.
He also referenced international standards, including the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, which mandates that law enforcement use force only when absolutely necessary and in proportion to the need for duty performance.
Falana urged the police to stop obstructing human rights defenders and to respect the rights enshrined in both national and international legal frameworks.
