The international human rights organization Amnesty International has voiced strong condemnation following the violent disruption of a peaceful demonstration in Ibadan, Oyo State. The group has urged the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable through fair legal proceedings.
In a statement released on Thursday, Amnesty International detailed that the protest, organized by the Take It Back Movement under the banner #BringBackOurPupilsAndTeachers, was met with aggression from individuals allegedly hired to quell the demonstration. The protesters had been marching from the Mokola area toward Bodija on Tuesday, June 2, when they were attacked near Sango.
The demonstration aimed to highlight what organizers see as a failure by authorities to provide adequate protection for schools, pupils, and teachers against abductions carried out by armed groups. According to the rights group, several protesters suffered injuries, vehicles were vandalized, and personal property was stolen during the attack.
Amnesty International expressed concern over what it described as a troubling trend of using thugs to suppress peaceful assemblies, warning that such actions violate the constitutional right to freedom of assembly. The organization emphasized that people must be able to freely exercise their right to peaceful protest without fear of violence or intimidation. It stated, “Any act capable of undermining freedom of assembly is illegal and portrays unacceptable intolerance of peaceful dissent.”
The group called on Nigerian authorities to protect citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and to ensure that lawful protesters are shielded from violence and harassment.