Global human watchdog, Amnesty International, has condemned the alleged use of lethal force by the Nigerian military against members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) during a peaceful procession in Abuja.
The group embarked on its 2025 Abuja International Quds Day Procession in support of the Palestinian government and to protest the silence of the Nigerian government over the crisis between Israel and Palestine.
However, the protest led to a confrontation with security operatives, where at least five protesters were killed and dozens severely injured.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Country Director, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International lamented that while the Quds Day protests were held peacefully in several Nigerian cities, including Kano, Yola, Bauchi, Zaria, and Jos, violence erupted only in Abuja.
The group said it was a disturbing pattern that security operatives continue using excessive force against IMN gatherings over the years.
Sanusi referenced a particular incident in December 2015 when soldiers killed 350 IMN members in Zaria and attempted to cover up the crime.
He also cited an AI investigation from October 2018, which found that excessive force by soldiers and police led to the deaths of at least 45 IMN supporters in Abuja.
“Our research established that the Nigerian military is deliberately using tactics designed to kill whenever they are dealing with IMN gatherings,” Sanusi stated.
“The extrajudicial executions of IMN members are gradually normalised as an annual routine of bloodshed by Nigeria’s security forces.”
The organization said that in the past five years, it has documented video footage and eyewitness testimonies consistently showing that the Nigerian military disperses peaceful IMN gatherings by firing live ammunition without warning.
“Every year, Amnesty International gathers evidence of shocking and unconscionable use of deadly force by soldiers and police against IMN members.
“International law is clear that security forces policing demonstrations must not use firearms against protesters. They must never use firearms to disperse a demonstration, even if it turns violent.
“Firearms must never be used as a tactical tool for the management of demonstrations; they may only be used to save another life.
“The violent crackdown on IMN protesters is unjustified and unacceptable. The protesters were within their rights to hold a religious procession and protest.
“There was no evidence they posed an imminent threat to life. The continuous failure to investigate these gross human rights violations is fueling a dangerous disdain for the sanctity of human life in Nigeria,” he added.
© Ripples Nigeria