The South East Coalition of Human Rights has strongly condemned the Nigerian security forces for their harsh crackdown on the recent #EndBadGovernance and hunger protests.

In a statement issued by the Coalition’s chairman, Dede Uzor A Uzor, the group criticized the interpretation of holding a Russian flag as a call for a coup. Uzor questioned, “When did holding a mere Russian flag turn into a call for a regime change?” He pointed out that prominent Nigerians often display both Nigerian and foreign flags without facing such allegations.

While the Coalition denounced instances of property destruction by some protesters, they called for the immediate removal of the Inspector General of Police, citing excessive use of force and the killing of defenseless civilians. They argued that in a decent society, the IGP would have resigned and issued a public apology.

The Coalition urged the Federal Government to establish a special committee of inquiry to investigate the brutal killings of unarmed civilians during the protests. They also called for the government to address the root causes of the protests, including the ongoing fuel crisis and the alleged persecution of Aliko Dangote for investing in refineries.

The group highlighted that the Federal Government has failed to address the issues affecting Nigerians, such as the non-functioning refineries and the economic impact of subsidy removal. They demanded transparency regarding the savings from subsidy removal and the effective use of these funds.

Finally, the South East Coalition of Human Rights called for the unconditional release of individuals arrested in connection with the protests, emphasizing the need for a fair and just response to the demonstrators’ grievances.

The statement was endorsed by various organizations, including the Campaign for Democracy (CD) South East Zone, Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders Foundation (HURIDE), South East Traders Forum (STF), and Group Against Torture (GAT), among 56 other groups.