FG Must Respect Nigerians’ Right to Free Speech, Says Amnesty International

Amnesty International has urged the Federal Government to stop threatening individuals and groups who criticize the current administration.

The organization condemned the alleged threats and intimidation faced by Ushie Uguamaye, a Lagos-based National Youth Service Corps member, after she criticized President Bola Tinubu’s government over the country’s economic hardship in a viral TikTok video .

Amnesty International emphasized that holding and voicing dissenting views is not a crime, and that the Nigerian authorities must stop responding with violence and threats to individuals and groups who express dissenting opinions.

The organization also denounced the reported threats from NYSC officials, stating that Uguamaye was well within her rights to express her frustration over the country’s worsening economic conditions.

The human rights watchdog noted that millions of people in Nigeria are facing extreme poverty, and that the authorities have failed to put in place effective mitigation measures, leaving millions of people without hope of getting out of the economic challenges and enjoying their human rights.