General
EndSARS: Human Rights Watch Calls for Action on Panel Recommendations
By Adedapo Adesanya
Human Rights Watch has called on Nigerian authorities to act on the #EndSARS panel recommendations and hold those responsible to account.
This call was made in a press statement on Monday in which the group accused the federal government of not making efforts to ensure justice for the killing of protesters in Lagos state in 2020, six months after a judicial panel implicated security forces in the abuses.
Speaking on this, Mr Anietie Ewang, Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch said, “The report of the judicial panel of inquiry should not be swept under the rug without any consequences for those responsible for killing and injuring protesters.
“A failure to act on the panel’s recommendations will send a painful message to victims and risks encouraging more violence by security officers.”
For context, in October 2020, young people across Nigeria took to the streets calling for the disbandment of an abusive police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and for an end to the brutality, in a movement using the hashtag #EndSARS.
Security forces responded with excessive force, including gunfire. One of the worst crackdowns was at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on October 20, when army and police officers opened fire on a crowd of protesters, leaving people dead and wounded.
In response, the Lagos state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwolu, mandated a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the incident and provide recommendations for justice and accountability.
The panel heard testimonies for a year from victims and representatives of the army, the police, and hospitals that treated victims. It was found in November 2021 that the security forces shot, injured, and killed unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, corroborating Human Rights Watch findings.
The panel also presented a list of at least 48 casualties, including nine dead, four missing and presumed dead, and 21 wounded by gunshots. The panel recommended appropriate disciplinary measures and dismissals of army officers implicated in the abuses. The panel also recommended prosecuting police officers implicated in the indiscriminate shooting and killing of protesters at the toll gate and prompt payment of the compensation that the panel awarded to victims.
The Nigerian police and military authorities have neither taken further steps to independently investigate nor responded to the panel’s findings and recommendations.
The federal government, which has oversight of these institutions, rejected the panel’s recommendations. The Lagos state governor, who called for the investigation and gave assurances that victims would get closure, has also been quiet on the issue of accountability.
Nigeria has a poor history with judicial panels of inquiries, whose recommendations have no force of law and are often dependent on the responsible authorities to carry out the recommendations.
A lack of political will on justice and accountability has meant that past judicial panels including those set up to investigate mass extrajudicial killings in other contexts made no progress toward ending impunity for security force abuses.
Adding her input, Mrs Serah Ibrahim, a coordinator of the EndSARS Survivors’ Group, made up of victims of the Lekki Toll Gate incident and their families, told Human Rights Watch that she and other members of the group including those who are managing serious injuries from the shooting are following up with the Lagos state government officials.
She said they want to see justice done and compensation paid but it appears futile because state government officials have told them it is not up to them to determine what happens next.
“They don’t want to fish out [identify] the people who shot at us and they also do not want to pay compensation for what happened because it will be an admission of guilt,” she said.
“Sometimes I just want to move on because pursuing justice in Nigeria seems pointless, but I can’t because I know what happened and the impact it has had on the lives of victims and their families,” Mrs Ibrahim added
Following the submission of the Lagos judicial panel report to Governor Sanwolu, he set up another committee to review the contents and come up with a white paper to chart the way forward. The white paper, released in November 2021, rejected the panel’s key findings, including the death toll of nine, stating that there were substantial inconsistencies and a lack of adequate evidence to back the claim.
But the Lagos state government said it fully or partially accepted all but one of the panel’s recommendations that relate to its own authority and indicated that it would forward other recommendations to the appropriate authorities, including the federal government, the Police Service Commission, Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Army.
The federal government through the Minister of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed, rejected the findings and recommendations of the panel though, and maintained the position it had taken since the incident occurred that reports of shooting and killing by security forces at the Lekki Toll Gate were “fake news.”
Justice and accountability should not be determined by the views of individual government ministers or officials but should rather be guaranteed for all Nigerians through independent systems and authorities mandated to investigate and act on allegations of abuses, Human Rights Watch said.
Within the Nigeria police force, there are several units including the X-Squad Unit of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) and the Provost Department, which are responsible for investigating offences by officers and recommending disciplinary actions and criminal prosecution where applicable. The Police Service Commission, which provides external oversight, also has the authority to investigate complaints and to mandate disciplinary actions, including dismissal, it added.
Similarly, the military police can investigate the actions of army officers implicated directly or indirectly in the abuses against protesters. An internal board of inquiry or regimental inquiry can also be set up to uncover the facts around their involvement and a court-martial process can be convened to discipline officers who engage in misconduct and ensure accountability,’ the group noted.
The executive secretary of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, Mr Tony Ojukwu, told Human Rights Watch that it is because of the failure of the various internal systems for accountability to adequately do their jobs over the years that police and military officers have continued to act with impunity.
“Nigerian authorities have evaded their responsibilities to identify, discipline, and prosecute security officers involved in abuses.
“Unless this changes, violence by security forces against ordinary citizens will continue,” Mr Ewang added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is set to strengthen its defence architecture by deploying artificial intelligence-powered surveillance systems and advanced anti-drone technology as part of efforts to modernise the country’s military capabilities, according to the Minister of Defence, Mr Christopher Musa.
He disclosed this during a high-level visit to Monaco, where he led a Nigerian delegation to conclude discussions on the multi-domain Hybrid Intelligence Shield (HIS) project.
According to Mr Musa, the initiative is designed to enhance border security, protect urban centres and improve the country’s response to emerging security threats.
The project is expected to introduce AI-driven surveillance systems capable of identifying threats rapidly through smart algorithms, while anti-drone technology will be deployed to intercept and neutralise unmanned aerial threats.
The government also plans to establish national and regional command-and-control centres to improve real-time coordination and response to security incidents across the country.
Mr Musa said the initiative would place strong emphasis on technology transfer and local capacity development through the establishment of a military Centre of Excellence in Nigeria.
He added that the federal government would leverage partnerships with international firms, including Marss UK Ltd, while simultaneously building indigenous capabilities to address insurgency, illegal mining, piracy and other security threats.
Nigeria has continued to battle multiple security challenges in recent years, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnappings in the North-West, farmer-herder clashes in the North-Central region, crude oil theft in the Niger Delta and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Nigeria is stepping up its defence as the border region of Nigeria, Benin and Niger on the southern edge of the Sahel region is becoming a new stronghold for jihadists, as militants turn forests and pastoral networks in West Africa into bases for recruitment and international attacks.
Attacks in Nigeria have also risen, with data from the website of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a conflict-monitoring group, affirming that the number of suicide bombings in Nigeria by March already matched the annual average over the past six years.
The Nigerian military has also been dealt a blow to its military bases and senior figures targeted. In April, Brigadier-General Oseni Omoh Braimah was killed when Islamist fighters attacked a base in Borno State.
To also meet the defence goal, Nigeria is stepping up efforts to build domestic arms-manufacturing capacity.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria and Morocco are set to sign a major intergovernmental agreement later this year to push forward the long-delayed Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project, a multi-billion-dollar energy corridor expected to reshape gas trade across West Africa and Europe.
The agreement, expected to be signed in the fourth quarter of 2026 by President Bola Tinubu and King Mohammed VI of Morocco, follows the completion of preliminary technical studies for the ambitious project, according to officials from both countries.
The pipeline, also known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, is projected to stretch about 6,900 kilometres along offshore and onshore routes across West Africa, making it one of the largest gas infrastructure projects on the continent.
With an estimated cost of $25 billion, the pipeline is designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually once completed.
Discussions on the project gained fresh momentum during a telephone conversation between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her Moroccan counterpart, Mr Nasser Bourita.
The project would not only strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries but also improve regional economic integration and expand Africa’s access to European energy markets.
According to Morocco’s hydrocarbons and mining agency, ONHYM, part of the gas supply will support Morocco’s domestic energy demand, while large export volumes will be directed to Europe.
The project, first proposed about a decade ago, is seen as a strategic alternative gas supply route amid rising global energy security concerns and Europe’s search for more diversified energy sources.
Beyond the pipeline, Nigeria and Morocco are also exploring broader economic partnerships, particularly in fertiliser production and distribution to support food security across Africa.
Both countries also agreed on the need to revive the Nigeria-Morocco Business Council to strengthen trade and investment relations under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
Analysts noted that the project could significantly boost gas monetisation opportunities for Nigeria, expand regional infrastructure development, and deepen economic ties between West African nations and Europe if successfully executed.
The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF), Nigeria’s leading platform for unlocking impact capital, today hosted the 4th Gender Impact Investment Summit (GIIS). The landmark event featured the historic unveiling of the Inclusive Capital Scorecard, a Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Baseline report, which establishes a foundation and clear understanding for GESI integration practices in impact investment.
The summit, themed “From Commitment to Action: Strengthening Inclusive Gender Lens Investment for Nigeria’s Growth,” convened at a critical juncture for deepening Nigeria’s National Women Economic Empowerment policy. Building on the momentum of previous years, where over 50 organisations pledged support for inclusive capital, the 4th GIIS serves as the definitive platform to translate high-level pledges into tangible, measurable results for women, youth, and the over 35 million Nigerians living with disabilities.
The centrepiece of this year’s summit was the GESI baseline survey, which serves as a reference point for tracking progress, informing interventions, and strengthening accountability toward achieving the national inclusive capital roadmap. It also features a policy roundtable, where regulators, ministries and government agencies made actionable commitments to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and accelerate policy implementation for women, youths and persons with disabilities (PwD) in key economic sectors, including climate resilient industries. “The GESI Baseline Report is more than a document; it is the data-driven foundation required to fix structural barriers in our financial system,” stated Etemore Glover, CEO of the Impact Investors Foundation. “While women own nearly 40% of Nigerian businesses, they receive a disproportionately small share of formal credit. This report empowers stakeholders to identify acute gaps and benchmark progress as we move toward a truly inclusive economy.”
Ibukun Awosika, Chair of GSG Nigeria Partner and Vice Chair of GSG Impact, emphasised the significance of this milestone at the 4th GIIS: “By providing the data-driven foundation needed to benchmark progress, it demands that stakeholders not only mobilise inclusive capital at scale but also embed GESI and gender lens investment principles into every investment decision and policy. This summit is the definitive platform to close investment gaps, unlocking Nigeria’s full economic potential and ensuring our growth is truly equitable and transformative.”
The 4th Gender Impact Investment Summit (GIIS) acts as a vehicle to dismantle obstacles for women, serving as a catalyst for growth by actively driving impact to accommodate women, including those in the informal labour market. It moves beyond rhetoric to institutionalise accountability by encouraging organisations to not only track how capital is raised, but also the type of capital deployed, jobs created, enterprise growth, geographic reach, and measurable inclusion outcomes.
Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) are increasingly recognised as critical leverage points; by addressing the institutional gaps that leave women, youths and persons with disabilities-led businesses under-resourced, Nigeria can catalyse a new wave of data-driven investment and productivity.
The keynote address, ‘Turning Gender Equity into Economic Advantage,’ presented by His Highness Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II CON, Sarkin Kano, stressed the need for the intentional dismantling of structural barriers that hinder women’s financial inclusion, noting that gender equality is not merely a social imperative but a critical economic lever for national prosperity.
To facilitate immediate economic impact, the 4th GIIS introduced enhanced Deal Rooms, operating both virtually and in-person. These rooms are specifically designed to provide a direct matchmaking pipeline, connecting investors with ready-to-scale, women-led enterprises, leading to a soft commitment of about $250,000 from investors.
In addition, the summit featured technical sessions which emphasised institutional capacity building, equipping both public and private sector actors with the GESI diagnostic tools, investment readiness tools and data capturing frameworks necessary to mainstream GESI and gender lens investing (GLI) into their core operations.
The economic urgency of this intervention is underscored by current data showing a stark inclusion gap: only 23% of Nigerian women have bank accounts, compared to 77% of men. By providing credible, first-of-its-kind data, the IIF is positioning the GESI Roadmap as a strategic necessity for sustainable national growth.
The summit featured high-level participation from financial institutions, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and policymakers. Through interactive panels and policy conversations, leaders were invited to move beyond discourse and lead in GESI integration, utilising the new report to influence future policy and investment strategies.
The 4th Gender Impact Investment Summit reaffirms IIF’s role as a strategic architect in the Nigerian investment market, dedicated to establishing actionable interventions that ensure no one is left behind in the pursuit of prosperity.
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