IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1216 

Supporting the #EndSARS peaceful protest movement in Nigeria. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 

Mr. GREEN of Texas (for himself, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. 

LEE of California, Ms. BASS, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. COHEN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms. 

FUDGE, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, and Mr. SCHIFF) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the #EndSARS peaceful protest movement in 

Nigeria. 

Whereas, on October 20, 2020, armed security forces reportedly indiscriminately fired live ammunition on a crowd of 

peaceful protestors that had gathered at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos, Nigeria, resulting in numerous deaths and 

injuries, in an event now known as ‘‘Black Tuesday’’; 

Whereas, on October 3, 2020, a widely shared video emerged 

appearing to show footage of the brutal murder and robbery of a Nigerian civilian by officers of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, commonly known as ‘‘SARS’’; 

Whereas since the emergence of this footage, thousands of 

people across Nigeria have been publicly and peacefully 


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•HRES 1216 IH 

demonstrating against police brutality and demanding the 

complete disbandment of SARS; 

Whereas the #EndSARS protest movement in Nigeria has 

been peacefully calling for the disbandment of SARS, 

which has been implicated in widespread human rights 

abuses, including torture and extrajudicial killings; 

Whereas there has been significant evidence of police violence 

and abuse by SARS in Nigeria, which must be thoroughly and immediately investigated in order to achieve 

justice for victims; 

Whereas all peaceful protestors who were wrongfully arrested 

for participating or supporting the #EndSARS protests 

must immediately be released; 

Whereas there must be an immediate independent investigation of the actions that led to the killing of and the use 

of deadly force against protestors at the Lekki tollgate on 

October 20, 2020; 

Whereas justice for the victims—and their families—killed by 

Nigerian security forces during peaceful demonstrations 

against police abuse must be addressed; 

Whereas comprehensive reform of the security sector, including specific measures of accountability, should be immediately initiated and implemented in a public and transparent manner; 

Whereas the Nigerian Government must uphold the right to 

peaceful protest and assembly in accordance with the 

International Bill of Rights, the African Charter on 

Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Constitution of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended); 


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•HRES 1216 IH 

Whereas there are over 1,000,000 Nigerian migrants across 

the world, with nearly 400,000 Nigerian immigrants and 

their children residing in the United States; 

Whereas the African Union issued a strong condemnation of 

the murder of George Floyd, an African-American man 

unlawfully killed by Minneapolis police officers, in recognition of the global significance of the Black Lives 

Matter movement; and 

Whereas injustice against Black lives in Nigeria is a matter 

of international concern, because Black lives matter 

wherever they may be in the world: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the violent crackdown on peaceful 

3 protestors by the Nigeria’s security forces; 

4 (2) calls on the Nigerian Government to— 

5 (A) not use excessive force against peaceful 

6 protestors in compliance with international law; 

7 and 

8 (B) desist from the persecution, harass9 ment, and infringement of the human rights of 

10 any and all Nigerians for exercising their rights 

11 to protest; 

12 (3) calls on the African and international 

13 human rights community to conduct independent in14 vestigations into the use of deadly force against 

15 protestors at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 

16 2020; and 


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•HRES 1216 IH 

1 (4) supports the demands of the #EndSARS 

2 movement for justice, accountability, and meaningful 

3 police reform. 

Æ 


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