Supporting the #EndSARS peaceful protest movement in Nigeria.

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. MCGOV- ERN, 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 Af- fairs RESOLUTION Supporting the #EndSARS peaceful protest movement in Nigeria. Whereas, on October 20, 2020, armed security forces report- edly indiscriminately fired live ammunition on a crowd of peaceful protestors 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 murder and rob- bery of a Nigerian civilian by officers of the Federal Spe- cial Anti-Robbery Squad, commonly known as ‘‘SARS’’; Whereas since the emergence of this footage, thousands of people across Nigeria have been publicly and peacefully VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1216.IH HR1216 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •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 thor- oughly 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 investiga- tion 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, includ- ing specific measures of accountability, should be imme- diately initiated and implemented in a public and trans- parent 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); VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1216.IH HR1216 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •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 rec- ognition 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 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) condemns the violent crackdown on peaceful 2 protestors by the Nigeria’s security forces; 3 (2) calls on the Nigerian Government to— 4 (A) not use excessive force against peaceful 5 protestors in compliance with international law; 6 and 7 (B) desist from the persecution, harass- 8 ment, and infringement of the human rights of 9 any and all Nigerians for exercising their rights 10 to protest; 11 (3) calls on the African and international 12 human rights community to conduct independent in- 13 vestigations into the use of deadly force against 14 protestors at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 15 2020; and 16 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1216.IH HR1216 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 1216 IH (4) supports the demands of the #EndSARS 1 movement for justice, accountability, and meaningful 2 police reform. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR1216.IH HR1216 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS