Rights body Amnesty International (AI) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime to desist from using security agencies to harass and silence critics and human rights defenders.

Issuing this warning in reaction to the recent invasion of the office of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) by operatives of secret police SSS, AI in a statement on Thursday condemned the attack describing it as a brazen attempt to intimidate the organisation.

CISLAC, a non-governmental organisation in the business of legislative advocacy had described the attack as another sign of Nigeria’s growing intolerance of critics and CSO’s.

“Amnesty International is deeply concerned over the invasion of the office of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) by DSS operatives. It is shocking that a law enforcement agency acted without respect for the rule of law. This is yet another sign of Nigerian authorities’ escalating clampdown on civil society organizations,” the statement by AI read.

“We condemn this brazen attempt by the DSS to intimidate CISLAC, which has consistently exposed corruption and demanded accountability. Nigerian authorities must end this dangerous trend of using agencies like the DSS to silence its critics and target human rights defenders,” it added.

On Monday, SSS operatives laid siege on the office of CISLAC in Abuja.

Condemning the attack, the Executive Director of CISLAC Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, in a letter to DSS Director-General, Yusuf Bichi called for an immediate investigation into the invasion.

He asked Mr Buhari to put an end to the incessant intimidation of critics of the federal government by security agencies.