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Amnesty International has condemned the detention of lawyer Aloy Ejimakor and Prince Emmanuel Kanu, describing it as a “chilling escalation” of the Nigerian government’s assault on freedom of assembly.
In a statement posted on X on Thursday, the human rights organisation said the duo’s remand in Kuje Prison for participating in a peaceful assembly represents a broader attempt to shrink civic space in Nigeria.
“Remanding lawyer Aloy Ejimakor and Prince Emmanuel Kanu in Kuje Prison just for participating in a peaceful assembly marks a further and chilling escalation of Nigerian government’s relentless efforts to undermine freedom of assembly,” the group wrote.
It added that the act reflects a “wider crackdown on civic space” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“What President Bola Tinubu’s government is subjecting Aloy Ejimakor and Prince Emmanuel Kanu to comes in the context of a much wider crackdown on civic space. This travesty of justice must stop,” Amnesty International said.
The organisation urged Nigerian authorities to immediately release both men and uphold the constitutional right to peaceful protest.