It has been four years since Nigerians took to the streets in 2020 to cry against police brutality through the EndSARS protest, but state actors — including the police, civil defence corps, and military — remain the country’s top human rights violators, FIJ has learnt.

FIJ gleaned the supporting figures from data on human rights violations gathered from the monthly dashboard published by the National Human Rights Commission in 2024.

According to the data, of the 582,173 cases of human rights violations reported between January and August 2024, about 83,802 were committed by the Nigeria Police Force, the military, and smaller paramilitary forces like the NSCDC.

READ MORE: PORTRAITS OF BLOOD (II): Names, Photos, Videos… How Lekki #EndSARS Protesters Were Massacred

Non-state actors, such as bandits, terrorists, and thieves, were responsible for 8,453 cases. Another significant category of violators includes parents, who were reported to have committed 20,055 violations, mostly against children.

In addition to the published data, FIJ has documented several instances of human rights abuses by the Nigerian police and military.

On Sunday, FIJ reported how police officers in Akwa Ibom extorted N10,000 from a resident for refusing them access to his phone. Before that, FIJ had reported how police officers in Ojo, Lagos, consistently extorted bikers.

In September, Emmanuel Ugwunna was detained by the police after his colleagues reported Insights Communication to FIJ following a contract gone bad. FIJ also reported numerous incidents of police harassment during the eight-day #EndBadGovernance protests in August.

The police have been especially aggressive toward journalists in 2024. In May, Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist at FIJ, was abducted by police and held for eight days before being allowed legal representation. He remained in unlawful detention for 10 days.

READ MORE: PORTRAITS OF BLOOD (1): Death Threats, ‘Murders’, Indiscriminate Arrests… The Post-Lekki-Massacre Cover-Up

THE GOVERNMENT RENEGED ON ITS PROMISE AND DENIED IT

On October 12, 2020, four days after protests began in Lagos, the Nigerian government promised to reform the police. President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to hold officers accountable for misconduct.

“I hereby use this opportunity to say I am aware of the recent genuine concerns and agitations by Nigerians about excessive use of force and in some cases extra-judicial killings and wrongful conduct by men of the Nigeria Police Force”, Buhari had said at the time.

“The disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit is only the first step to an extensive police reforms, in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agency remain the protection of lives and livelihood of our people. We would also ensure that all those responsible for misconduct are brought to justice”

However, by October 20, state actors responded violently to protesters in Lagos and other states, beating and even killing young people in the protest.

The government, on several occasions, denied the murders and assault during the protest, especially at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos. But consequent actions by state agencies and government bodies signalled reluctant acknowledgment of the deaths and abuses perpetrated during the protest.

Most recently, in September, FIJ reported how a letter addressed to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Governor, confirmed that the government acknowledged the #EndSARS massacre and offered N100 million to victims.