Amnesty International strongly condemns the brutal killing of five people by armed political mobs in Kano on Tuesday 5 May 2026. This is the biggest surge in political thuggery in recent years. The Nigerian authorities must investigate the incident to ensure that suspected perpetrators and the politicians sponsoring them are brought to justice.
A viral video obtained by Amnesty International shows the armed political thugs moving in a mob, chasing fleeing individuals who were subsequently and violently killed. In other videos, victims were shown in the pool of their own blood turning helplessly to their last breath.
The armed thugs were wearing the ruling party’s t-shirt and chanting songs of death and destruction. Amnesty International has received reports of supporters of some politicians violently targeting political opponents, real or perceived.
Amnesty International is investigating names of some prominent Kano politicians and government officials alleged to be sole sponsors of the armed political thugs.
This incident reflects a dangerous escalation of a deadly cycle of political violence consistently happening across Kano in recent months. The armed thugs reported to be working for some prominent politicians of the ruling party are increasingly posing a threat to the right to life, behaving as if they have carte blanche to kill and destroy.
The Nigerian authorities, politicians and political parties must respect the rule of law and ensure that lives and property are not put at risk and are protected before, during, and after political events. People’s right to freedom of association and movement must be upheld and protected.
Increasing political violence by armed thugs working for some politicians in Kano is creating a toxic climate of fear and infringes on the rights of people to freely participate in politics and political activities.
