As international human rights groups urge the regime of Bola Tinubu to adhere to international governance standards, the regime carries on with business as usual
Nigeria (Brussels Morning) Since the controversial election of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in October of last year, which saw opposition parties crying foul with allegations of electoral fraud and voter harassment, Nigeria has continued to face some of the worst human rights violations, endemic corruption, repression and insecurity that it has seen in years. Despite being one of the richest nations in Africa in resources, a tremendous and widening wealth gap exists, with nearly 40% of citizens living below the poverty line, an astounding number which continues to grow, as the government further cements its stranglehold over the country.
President Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos state governor, ran for the highest office in the country with 10 priorities on his manifesto. These can be summed up as focusing on fighting corruption, improving the economy and making Nigeria safer. Reflecting on his almost one and a half years in office shows an administration which has not only accomplished nothing in terms of making good on campaign promises to the people; if anything, the situation on the ground has gotten drastically worse.
Under the regime of President Tinubu, corruption has worsened, leading to the continued widescale embezzlement of public funds. Although the government has made a big song and dance about its dedication to cleaning up corruption, its focus has been on members of previous administrations, exploiting corruption charges to also rid itself of potential political challengers. That is not to say that those being investigated were not corrupt, rather, that the focus has exclusively been on those whose prosecution also serves a political purpose. Extreme corruption in today’s economy continues to thrive, and is most visible in areas such as healthcare, education and infrastructure, where inadequate state institutions fail millions of Nigerians, leaving citizens underfunded, public funds unaccounted for and progress sorely lacking.
Corruption continues to not only permeate the Nigerian government, but also to have a very tangible impact on citizens, driving human rights violations, undermining transparency, and preventing effective resource allocation. Mismanagement of public funds under President Tinubu’s administration sees public services remaining underfunded. Freedom of expression in Nigeria remains in the government’s crosshairs, with journalists and activists who frequently report on government corruption targeted by the state, harassed, detained, or in some creative cases, prosecuted under the Cybercrime Act. Indeed, this recently redefined legal tool has been weaponized as a means of further suppressing dissent and freedom of speech.
Although initially passed in 2015, in February, President Bola Tinubu signed amendments to the act, including highly controversial revisions to a section criminalizing online expression, and through this, taking aim at journalists. These are now at severe risk of surveillance and arrest by a government increasingly concerned over criticism. Section 24 which focuses on the issue of “cyberstalking”, and used to refer to forms of online harassment, was reinterpreted to include those who act “for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order”, a term which could be used to broadly define journalists critical of the government’s actions and especially those who support public protests.
Investigative journalists and media houses are now being further pressured to avoid reporting on government failings or human rights abuses. The repression of police brutality in 2020, during the #EndSARS movement, was met with violence against protesters and served as an example of the state’s cruel response to dissent. Similarly, recently quashed protests over the course of Nigeria’s Independence Day subsequently saw journalists more hesitant to report on widespread police abuse, making international reporting on the subject doubly important.
The use of excessive force is not limited to protests with security forces routinely engaging in violent repression during counterinsurgency operations, particularly in the northeast, despite lack of government capacity to get the security situation under control. Allegations of airstrikes on civilian populations intended to target insurgents are frequent, most horrific of which were strikes that killed at least 85 Muslim worshippers during a religious festival, in what President Tinubu referred to as a “bombing mishap”. This, alongside allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances, has nevertheless seen little accountability from the government. Despite widespread domestic and international condemnations, many activists remain detained while others face trumped-up charges. International organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International continue to urge Nigeria to protect the rights of its citizens and reform its security and governance structures, while calling for greater accountability. Sustained pressure from both international and domestic advocates will be key in pushing for reforms that prioritize human rights. Addressing Nigeria’s human rights crisis will require tackling systemic corruption, and holding security forces accountable for their actions. Until these issues are adequately addressed, millions of Nigerians will remain vulnerable to abuse and injustice.
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