Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the killing of 13 protesters by security personnel across Nigeria. In a public statement on Friday, the global humanitarian organisation listed the states where the killings occurred.

The group reported that six people were killed in Suleja, Niger State, with dozens severely injured. In Maiduguri, four people were killed, while three were killed in Kaduna.

The statement read, “The Nigerian authorities must impartially and effectively investigate these incidents and ensure that security personnel suspected of responsibility for the alleged deadly use of force are held accountable through fair trials. Violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters are unjustified and unacceptable. The fierce clampdown on peaceful protests yesterday and the harmful rhetoric by government officials ahead of the protests appear to be part of a broader plan to justify depriving people of their right to peaceful protest.

“Our findings so far show that security personnel at the locations where lives were lost deliberately used tactics designed to kill while dealing with gatherings of people protesting against hunger and severe poverty. Particularly in Abuja, the police have routinely misused tear gas against largely peaceful protesters. The relentless repression of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly reflects the Nigerian authorities’ growing hostility towards dissent. Nigerian security agencies’ unlawful use of firearms as tactical tools for managing protests must end.

“The Nigerian government must also take concrete steps to address the impact on economic, social, and cultural rights, including people’s rights to health and education. Authorities must also end the rampant violations of people’s rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.”