Two years after the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests left 12 people dead in Kano State, victims’ families say none of the recommendations of the Justice Lawal Wada Committee — including prosecution and compensation — has been implemented, as Amnesty International condemns the government’s continued inaction.
Two years after the nationwide protests against hardship during which 12 demonstrators were killed and others injured in Kano State, victims’ families are still awaiting compensation from the government, Daily Trust gathered.
Daily Trust reports that the protests, known by the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, were staged from August 1 to 10, 2024, over the cost of living crisis, believed to be triggered by President Bola Tinubu’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and currency floating.
Following the killings, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf constituted the Justice Lawal Wada Committee to investigate, with families submitting videos and testimonies. The committee recommended prosecution of those responsible and compensation for victims, but families say none of this has been implemented two years later.
Sagiru Usman Yarima, leading the campaign for justice, said, “Ali, who was like a younger brother to me, was shot in our neighbourhood of Daurawa Koki… These were innocent lives. I personally brought most of them forward. The committee accepted our reports, but two years later, nothing has been implemented.”
He said families are demanding prosecution, compensation for those killed, injured or whose properties were destroyed, and recognition and dignity for victims, warning that patience was wearing thin.
Muhammad Alhassan of Daurawa recalled being shot while fleeing after witnessing his friend Ali killed by police gunfire, saying he still carries the bullet in his body because doctors feared removing it could affect his central nervous system.
Fa’iza Haruna said her sister Firdausi was killed by police a week before her wedding while out to buy charcoal, leaving behind two children.
Amnesty International Nigeria’s Director, Isa Sanusi, condemned the government’s inaction, saying, “Accountability remains elusive for the 24 peaceful protesters killed. Those behind these atrocities must be held to account,” noting that not a single security officer had been prosecuted despite trials continuing against protesters in multiple states.
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