#EndBadGovernance urges Amnesty Intl, UN Rapporteur on Torture to hold Sanwo-Olu, CP Moshood Jimoh accountable for attack on Soweto
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The #EndBadGovernance Movement in Lagos has called on global human rights organizations to intervene in what it describes as escalating state-sponsored violence, police brutality, and widespread forced evictions targeting poor communities in the state.
In a statement signed by Comrades Adegboyega Adeniji and Blessing Osugba, the group highlighted the severe assault on Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto during a peaceful protest on January 28, 2026.
The letter was addressed to Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Rapporteurs, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the broader human rights community
Recall that the January 28, 2026 protest, organized against illegal demolitions, forced evictions, and alleged land grabbing in areas such as Makoko, Oworoshoki, Owode-Onirin, Bariga, and Ajegunle, was met with heavy police repression.
Soweto, a leading figure in the movement and a member of the Democratic Socialist Movement, was arrested, beaten, and subjected to torture under the alleged direct supervision of Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh.
Medical reports, including MRI and chest X-ray results, have confirmed serious injuries, particularly to his lower spine, consistent with severe brutality, according to the #EndBadGovernance Movement, Lagos chapter.
The Movement accuses CP Jimoh of providing armed protection to land grabbers while unleashing violence on peaceful protesters and vulnerable residents.
It further claims that, under the oversight of both the police commissioner and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over 50 people, including women and infants, have died in incidents linked to forced evictions and land disputes across Lagos.
These deaths are attributed to excessive tear gas use, live ammunition, and resistance to unlawful demolitions, which the group labels as extrajudicial killings, torture, and potential crimes against humanity.
The movement urged the international human rights groups to among other things:
1. Immediate public condemnation of the abuses
2. Demand the removal, dismissal, and criminal prosecution of CP Moshood Jimoh for command responsibility.
3. Political and legal accountability for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in enabling evictions and violence.
4. Inclusion of both officials on international watchlists, including potential travel bans and asset monitoring, pending investigations.
5. An independent, transparent, and internationally supervised probe into Soweto’s assault and the wider pattern of police violence.
The movement has pledged to provide evidence, including medical reports, eyewitness accounts, photos, videos, and community records, to any credible investigation.
