Amnesty International has urged Nigerian youths to use their online presence responsibly to promote and protect human rights without political bias.
The Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Mr. Isa Sanusi, made the call during a two-day “Regional Supporters’ Engagement 2025” workshop held in Ikeja, Lagos, for youths from the South-West zone.
Sanusi said the workshop was designed to strengthen local activism, build leadership capacity, and connect young advocates promoting justice and accountability across Nigeria.
“We want youths to be bold, decent, and honest in their advocacy—using their voices to promote justice, not hate,” he said.
He explained that since 2022, Amnesty International Nigeria has developed a youth structure to empower young people to contribute meaningfully to the human rights movement.
“Insult is not a crime, but it should not define activism,” Sanusi cautioned, urging participants to use social media to promote truth and freedom of expression.
Sanusi also condemned mob action and extrajudicial killings, describing them as serious threats to justice.
He noted that peace is returning to parts of the South-East but warned that “peace without justice is graveyard peace,” calling for accountability and the release of citizens unlawfully detained.
Amnesty’s Finance and Office Manager, Benedicta Ofili, described freedom of expression as the lifeblood of democracy and decried harassment of journalists and citizens for dissenting views.
She said government should view criticism as constructive engagement, not rebellion.
Ofili added that the participating youths were volunteers driven by passion for justice rather than financial gain.
The training covered sustainable activism, leadership, and digital safety to help them engage constructively without being partisan.
A participant, David Oyinlade, a law student at Obafemi Awolowo University, described the training as enlightening and practical, saying it equipped him to promote rights professionally.
The workshop concluded with regional planning and solidarity activities to strengthen Amnesty’s youth engagements network nationwide.
Reporting by Innocent Onoh