Title: Supporting the demands of the #EndSARS movement for justice, accountability, and meaningful police and security sector reforms in Nigeria and calling upon the President and the Secretary of State to safeguard and promote the protection of freedoms of thought, assembly, and expression in Nigeria and around the world.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution declares that respect for human rights is foundational to U.S. bilateral and international engagement with Nigeria, and it condemns the violence by Nigerian security forces against peaceful protestors. Further, the resolution supports the demands of the movement for justice, accountability, and meaningful police and security-sector reform in Nigeria, and it calls on the Nigerian government to release everyone who has been wrongfully arrested for participating in or supporting this movement.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 235 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 235

     Supporting the demands of the #EndSARS movement for justice, 
 accountability, and meaningful police and security sector reforms in 
 Nigeria and calling upon the President and the Secretary of State to 
safeguard and promote the protection of freedoms of thought, assembly, 
            and expression in Nigeria and around the world.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 16, 2021

  Mr. Green of Texas (for himself, Mr. Castro of Texas, Ms. Omar, Mr. 
   Hastings, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Bass, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Cohen, Ms. 
Norton, Mr. Cooper, Ms. Titus, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, and Mr. 
McGovern) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Supporting the demands of the #EndSARS movement for justice, 
 accountability, and meaningful police and security sector reforms in 
 Nigeria and calling upon the President and the Secretary of State to 
safeguard and promote the protection of freedoms of thought, assembly, 
            and expression in Nigeria and around the world.

Whereas, on October 20, 2020, armed security forces reportedly indiscriminately 
        fired live ammunition on a crowd of peaceful protesters that had 
        gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate 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 treatment and robbery of a Nigerian citizen by 
        Special Anti-Robbery Squad (commonly known as ``SARS'') officers;
Whereas since the emergence of this footage, thousands of people across Nigeria 
        have been publicly and peacefully demonstrating against police brutality 
        and demanding the complete disbandment of SARS;
Whereas, on February 6, 2021, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos 
        State Government to investigate the October 20, 2020, incident 
        shockingly approved the reopening of the Lekki Toll Gate prior to the 
        completion of forensic analysis of the crime scene sparking calls for 
        further protests;
Whereas, on February 13, 2021, peaceful demonstrators were reportedly arrested 
        and tortured during a protest in response to the decision of the Lagos 
        State Judicial Panel of Inquiry to reopen the Lekki Toll Gate;
Whereas the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria has been peacefully calling for the 
        disbandment of SARS, that 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 justice for the victims and their families killed by Nigerian security 
        forces during the 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 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 
        the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African 
        Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, and the Constitution of the 
        Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended);
Whereas there are over a million 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 
        Matters 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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) declares that the United States of America considers 
        respect for human rights as a foundation for its bilateral and 
        international engagement with Nigeria;
            (2) condemns the violent crackdown and intimidation of 
        peaceful protesters by Nigeria's security forces;
            (3) calls on the Nigerian government to--
                    (A) not use excessive force against peaceful 
                protesters in compliance with international law;
                    (B) desist from the prosecution, harassment, and 
                infringement of the human rights of any and all 
                Nigerians for exercising their right to protest; and
                    (C) release all persons wrongfully arrested for 
                participating or supporting the #EndSARS protests and 
                pay reparations to victims of police brutality;
            (4) support the demands of the #EndSARS movement for 
        justice, accountability, and meaningful police and security 
        sector reforms in Nigeria; and
            (5) calls upon the President and the Secretary of State to 
        safeguard and promote the protection of freedoms of thought, 
        assembly, and expression in Nigeria and around the world.
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