Amnesty International, a global human rights body, has asked the Federal Government of Nigeria to set up an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the use of firearms by security forces that left at least one person dead and a dozen seriously injured at Bundu Waterfront last year.
The request formed part of a report issued by the group during a press conference jointly addressed by it and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Lagos on Monday.
The 18-page report entitled, “Nigeria: Bundu shooting must be investigated,” detailed how on October 12, 2009, armed security forces opened fire on a crowd of people peacefully protesting against the proposed demolition of their homes in Bundu community in Port Harcourt.
According to the foreign body, “the excessive use of force seen in the Bundu shooting is just one of many examples of the brutality with which the police and army operate throughout Nigeria, but few officers are held accountable and in most cases, no investigation carried out.”