Nigeria forces open fire at protest over deaths of detainees, witnesses say
Authorities ordered an investigation and suspended the state commandant as protesters demanded justice and security forces used tear gas to restore order.
- Nigerian security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the Ministry of Justice in Abuja, witnesses and rights activists reported.
- The protest was organized to demand an independent investigation into the deaths of at least 14 young men while in police and military custody following nationwide anti-government demonstrations.
- Eyewitnesses and medical personnel confirmed that at least two protesters sustained gunshot wounds, while dozens of others were treated for severe tear gas inhalation and minor injuries.
- Human rights groups accused authorities of using excessive, lethal force against peaceful citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble and seek accountability for custodial deaths.
- Police leadership denied using live rounds, claiming officers deployed non-lethal crowd-control measures to prevent demonstrators from storming government facilities and obstructing traffic.
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Minna, the capital of Niger State, was tense on Friday following the tragedy and accounts from survivors. Police opened fire on demonstrators, according to witnesses. An angry mob blocked a major thoroughfare and attacked a bus station, a bank, political party offices, and private businesses. It was not immediately clear whether security forces had fired rubber bullets or live ammunition. The government imposed a curfew from dusk till dawn to co…
Nigeria: Armed security deployed in Minna after deaths of miners
Armed security personnel have been deployed in the Nigerian city of Minna, where demonstrators have been taking to the streets, a day after dozens suspected illegal gold miners died while in custody.
(Johannesburg=Yonhap News) Correspondent Na Hak-jin = 37 miners died in detention facilities after being arrested en masse on charges of illegal mining in Niger State, central Nigeria...
In Nigeria, 37 miners were killed in paramilitaries' custody, followed by riots in the mining town of Minna. Security forces forcibly attacked the crowd.
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