Security personnel in Kano State have been cracking down on FM stations, searching for journalists who dared to cover a press conference held by the parents of victims of police brutality during the #EndBadGovernance protests.
These protests, which took place last August, aimed to draw attention to the struggles faced by Nigerians, including bad governance, economic hardship, and other pressing challenges.
However, it was learnt that personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), also known as State Security Service (SSS) have been looking for the addresses of the parents and the details of the organisers of the press conference.
At the press conference, families of victims killed during the #EndBadGovernance protests urged the government and police authorities to accept responsibility for the loss of innocent lives and provide justice and compensation.
The press conference was organised by the Victims Support Initiative Nigeria (VSIN) on Monday in Kano, where bereaved families shared their experiences, calling for accountability for what they termed reckless actions by law enforcement officers during the demonstrations.
One of the journalists visited by the security personnel said “they came to our radio station because on Monday we carried the story about the grievances of the parents of those killed by the police during the August protest”.
“They were asking us about the organisers of the press conference and the details of the parents who spoke at the press conference,” the journalist added.
At the press conference, Malam Yahya Ibrahim, whose son was killed during the protest, urged President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent and impartial inquiry in the killing of their children.
“Some of our sons and daughters were not even part of the protest but were killed because of excessive force used by the police. We are ready to provide all the information and evidence,” he said.
Families Of #EndBadGovernance Protesters Killed Or Injured By Police Demand Justice, Compensation From Nigerian Govt
Yahya Ibrahim, who lost his five-year-old son to a stray bullet in their family compound, spoke emotionally on behalf of the families.
“My son was just playing in the compound when a stray bullet cut his life short. This was not an accident but a failure of governance and accountability. We demand justice for all innocent lives lost,” he said.
The VSIN revealed that over 50 families across the country have reported similar tragic losses linked to the protests, highlighting a pattern of alleged excessive force by security operatives.
Fatima Yusuf, the coordinator of VSIN, urged the government to set up an independent judicial panel to investigate the incidents and ensure compensation for the victims’ families.
“These families deserve justice, not silence. The lives lost during the protests are a reminder of the systemic failures we need to fix as a nation,” she said.
