Amnesty International has condemned Nigerian security operatives for “deliberately” killing protesters during nationwide demonstrations against President Bola Tinubu’s harsh economic policies. 

In a statement on Friday, Amnesty International said, “Nigerian security agencies’ unlawful attitude of using firearms as tactical tool for the management of protests must end.”

It said, “Our findings, so far, show that security personnel at the locations where lives were lost deliberately used tactics designed to kill while dealing with gatherings of people protesting hunger and deep poverty.”

According to the human rights organisation, a total of 13 people were killed on Thursday. 

In Suleja, six people were killed. Four were killed in Maiduguri, and three in Kaduna.

The human rights organisation also called on Mr Tinubu to investigate the killing recorded during the protests on Thursday. 

“The Nigerian authorities must investigate these incidents and ensure that security personnel suspected of responsibility for deadly use of force are held to account through fair trial. Violent crackdown on peaceful protesters is unjustified and unacceptable,” Amnesty International stressed.

Footages of police teargassing and opening live rounds on protesters continue to circulate on the internet. 

However, in a nationwide broadcast on Thursday night, the inspector general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, insisted that cops were civil in handling #EndBadGivernance protesters.