TAKE ACTION:
- Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
- Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 157.20. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
CONTACT INFORMATION
President Muhammadu Buhari
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces
Office of the President of the Federal Republic
Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Nigeria
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear President Buhari,
I am writing to express grave concern over reported killings of #EndSARS peaceful protesters in several parts of Nigeria. Between 6:45pm and 9:00pm of 20 October, the Nigerian army and police reportedly killed at least 12 peaceful protesters and left several injured in Lekki and Alasusa – two locations in Lagos – when they opened fire on thousands of people who were peacefully calling for good governance and an end to police brutality as part of the #EndSARS movement. Since 8 October, protesters have been occupying the streets of major towns and cities across 21 states of the country, demanding an end to police brutality, extrajudicial executions and extortion by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian police tasked with fighting violent crimes. The protests, which began as a response to a viral video of SARS operatives shooting a young man on 3 October, has transformed into nationwide protests for police reform. The protesters have consistently been met with excessive use of force: including the firing of live ammunition, water cannons, the throwing of tear gas into crowds, beatings and arrests, all of which have led to death and injuries. This excessive force on peaceful protesters is contrary to both the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] and international standards that protect the rights to life, dignity, and peaceful assembly.
I call on you to publicly order an end to the killing and excessive use of force against peaceful protesters across the country by security agents and the military; ensure a prompt, thorough, impartial, effective and transparent investigation into all cases of human rights violations by the police, including the unlawful killings of the #EndSARS protesters; ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims and their families; and publicly commit to implement the demands of the protesters including an end to police brutality, accountability for extrajudicial killings, rape, torture and extortion by SARS officers and policing reforms in general.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
