Amnesty International (AI) Nigeria has trained 150 Nigerian youths on research, campaign and advocacy to seek, protect and promote human rights abuses in the country.
The international rights organieation noted that Nigeria continues to face huge challenges and human rights violations, adding that abuses are not only escalating but also getting out of hand.
Director, AI Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, disclosed this at an event hekd in Saturday in Abuja.
Sanusi said: “We will continue to use research, campaign and advocacy to seek the change that will create a human rights respecting world.
“The recent protest against hunger and corruption and the way government, politicians and particularly security agencies responded to the protests is a sign of the depth of disdain for human rights by the those in position of authorities.
“Many attempts to demonise protests and protesters are the latest signs that we have a lot of work to do, ahead to make Nigeria a human rights respecting country.”
Similarly, AI Programme Manager, Mrs Barbara Magaji, stressed, “We work to ensure that human rights is protected and that the Universal Declaration and other human rights instruments that have been signed by different countries are adhered to.
“Today we are engaging in Nigeria with volunteers and supporters that work with us to ensure that the work they do across different parts of Nigeria reaches the voiceless.
“They are people in different communities looking at different types of rights that are being violated, whether by individuals or state actors or non-state actors.”
Magaji said that the organisation also ensure that people are not arrested and detained unduly because they have constitutional rights to only be detained within a time frame of 24 to 48 hours.
She added that they ensure that vulnerable people like children and women continue to enjoy their rights as citizens or as people who reside within Nigeria.