We won’t be deterred by malicious threats in Nigeria – Amnesty International

Amnesty International, Nigeria has reacted to the seven day ultimatum issued by a Nigerian group for it to vacate the country or office large scale civil disobedience at its offices in Abuja and Lagos.

It will be recalled that the group, Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights, CALSER, in a briefing last Wednesday by it’s convener, Princess Ajibola, asked the human rights watch dog to vacate the country over what it described as it’s jaundiced reports about Nigeria in the wake of the #ENDSARS protest and threatened that the civil disobedience will be on the same “scale that innocent police men lynched by mobs were treated during the protest across the country.”

Amnesty in a statement on Friday, said this is not the first time it has been given ultimatum to vacate the country by faceless groups in Nigeria who have equally invaded their offices in the country.

Amnesty International also affirmed it’s position as a human rights organization which it said is not affiliated to any government, ideology, interests, political, religious or commercial groups.

It said: “We have been working on Nigeria since June 1967. Despite threats to our lives, through faceless organizations and sponsored protests, we will not stay silent. In the face of efforts to evade responsibility or to smear our organization, we will continue to raise our voices whenever and wherever we see injustice.

“We will continue to call on the Nigerian government to use its authority and resources to investigate all allegations of human rights violations and abuses, including; rape, torture, arbitrary detentions and unlawful killings.”

In it’s message to the Nigerian government and security agencies, the rights watch dog stated further saying, “the Nigerian authorities owe a legal duty to ensure the protection of lives and properties what every person in the country.

“Malicious threats will not deter us from continuing to speak against human rights violation and abuses by state and non-state actors.”