In the summer of 2024, a civilian protest erupted in Nigeria and quickly turned into a bloodbath. Before protesters could even take over the streets to demonstrate against the soaring cost of living, Nigerian security forces dispersed them with live fire aimed at their torsos and, at times, their heads, an Amnesty International report later found. At least 24 civilians were killed, many more wounded, and more than 1,200 arrested. Dozens of the detainees were held for months, then put on trial in a court in Abuja on far-fetched charges such as “treason.”
