Two Years After #EndBadGovernance Protests, Kano Victims Still Wait for Healing, Justice

Two years after Nigeria’s #EndBadGovernance protests brought thousands of young people into the streets over hunger, rising living costs and economic hardship, the consequences are still being felt in Kano — not only in memories of violence, but in hospital beds, unpaid medical bills and families struggling to rebuild their lives.

For some survivors, August 2024 is not history.

It is an injury that has refused to heal.

Among them is 25-year-old Rabiu Fillo Gama, whose life changed on August 2, 2024, after he was shot in the leg near the Gwagwarwa Police Station in Kano.

Gama said he was not participating in the demonstration when he found himself caught in the confusion surrounding the protest.

According to his account, people were fleeing after gunshots were heard. He was struck in the leg and fell.

He said the officer he believed shot him later approached him and called his name before leaving the scene.

Two years later, Gama says the injury remains unresolved.

He underwent four operations — two at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and two more after being transferred because of the financial burden associated with his treatment.

But despite the surgeries and the millions of naira spent, he says the bone has still not properly healed.

For Gama, the end of the street protests did not mean the end of the crisis.

It simply moved from the streets to the hospital.

A bullet that remains close to Muhammad Alasan’s heart

Gama’s experience is mirrored by another Kano survivor, 24-year-old Muhammad Alasan of Koki Quarter, Dauwara.

Alasan says he was also shot during the demonstrations.

But unlike Gama, his injury involves a bullet fragment that he says remains lodged in his chest, close to his heart.

The injury has left him unable to return to the life he knew before August 2024.

Speaking from his sick bed, Alasan described his condition as a state between life and death and appealed directly to the Kano State Government for assistance.

He said his family has struggled to meet the cost of caring for him and that previous assurances of government assistance have not translated into the support he needs.

His central demand is straightforward: medical treatment that can give him a chance to recover and resume his life.

For his family, however, the cost of survival has continued long after the protests disappeared from the headlines.

What happened during the August 2024 protests?

The #EndBadGovernance demonstrations began nationwide on August 1, 2024, amid widespread anger over food prices, economic hardship, the impact of the petrol subsidy removal and broader concerns about governance.

The demonstrations were planned as a 10-day protest.

While many gatherings began peacefully, some locations — particularly in parts of northern Nigeria — descended into violence, with reports of looting, destruction of property and clashes involving protesters and security personnel.

Kano became one of the major flashpoints.

The state government imposed a curfew after violence and destruction were reported, later relaxing it as the immediate situation improved.

The protests subsequently became the subject of competing accounts over what happened, who was responsible for particular deaths and the extent to which security agencies used lethal force.

That disagreement has never been fully resolved.

How many people died in Kano?

The casualty figures remain one of the most contested aspects of the protests.

Amnesty International’s investigation said at least 24 people were killed across six Nigerian states during the August 1–10 protests. Its report identified 12 deaths in Kano, including people killed in Rijiyar Lemo and Kofar Nasarawa.

The human-rights organisation said its findings were based on field research conducted in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa, alongside interviews with witnesses, relatives, medical workers and others, as well as examination of photographs and videos.

But the Kano State Government’s own inquiry produced a different figure.

In February 2025, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf received the report of a judicial commission of inquiry which said 10 people were killed and seven others critically injured during the violence in Kano. The committee also estimated property losses at more than ₦11 billion.

The difference between the figures is significant.

But beyond the numbers are individual people — including survivors whose injuries remain part of their daily lives.

Police reject Amnesty’s account

The Nigeria Police Force has strongly disputed Amnesty International’s allegations.

In December 2024, the police described Amnesty’s report as unfounded and misleading and said it did not correspond with incident reports received from affected commands.

The police also said the Inspector-General of Police had directed officers not to deploy firearms for managing protests and maintained that the force operated within established rules of engagement.

Amnesty, however, maintained its findings.

The organisation alleged that police used live ammunition against protesters and called for independent investigations into deaths and other alleged violations during the demonstrations.

The conflicting positions highlight a central issue that remains unresolved: who should be held responsible when citizens are killed or seriously injured during public demonstrations?

Kano Government opened an inquiry

The Kano State Government did not simply leave the events without an official investigation.

In September 2024, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf inaugurated a 14-member Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by retired Justice Lawan Wada Mahmoud.

The commission was tasked with investigating the killings, looting and destruction of public and private property connected to the unrest.

The governor subsequently pledged to implement the recommendations of the commission after receiving its report in February 2025.

But for survivors such as Gama and Alasan, an inquiry and promises of action do not automatically translate into medical treatment.

Their immediate concern is what happens to them now.

Families say promises have not solved the problem

Sagir Yerima, who represents families of people killed or injured during the protests in Kano, said victims’ relatives have repeatedly approached the authorities for assistance.

According to Yerima, letters were submitted and meetings were held with government officials, but families were still waiting for meaningful intervention.

The concern is particularly urgent for seriously injured survivors whose medical needs did not disappear after the protests ended.

For families already struggling financially, prolonged medical treatment can quickly become an impossible burden.

A victim may survive a shooting but still lose employment, income, mobility and independence.

In that sense, the true cost of the protests cannot be measured only by the number of people killed.

The protests also left a legal and political trail

The aftermath of the demonstrations extended beyond injuries and deaths.

Hundreds of people were arrested in connection with the unrest, while some protesters faced serious criminal allegations.

Amnesty International reported that more than 1,200 people were detained during the nationwide protests and that more than 146 people, including minors, were arraigned and charged with treasonable felony.

In Kano, the state government later facilitated the release and rehabilitation of detained teenagers. The Federal Information Centre reported in November 2024 that 76 teenagers had been reunited with their families after President Bola Tinubu’s pardon, with promises including medical rehabilitation, educational reinstatement and employment for two of the youths after completion of their studies.

The legal consequences therefore became another chapter in the story of the protests.

Two years later, the bigger question is accountability

The anniversary of the #EndBadGovernance protests presents Nigeria with an uncomfortable question.

What happens to citizens who survive alleged excessive use of force?

Gama is still dealing with an injury that has required four operations.

Alasan is still living with a bullet fragment in his chest, according to his account.

Their experiences raise questions about medical assistance, compensation, accountability and the responsibility of government to protect citizens whose lives have been permanently altered.

Amnesty International said in August 2025 — one year after the protests — that no member of the security forces had been prosecuted over the 24 deaths identified in its investigation.

That means the debate has moved beyond what happened in August 2024.

It is now about whether Nigeria’s institutions can provide credible answers and remedies after allegations of serious human-rights violations.

What readers should watch next

Three issues remain particularly important.

First, medical support for survivors.
Victims with long-term injuries need more than expressions of sympathy. Their cases require access to appropriate medical care and sustainable financial support.

Second, accountability for deaths and injuries.
The conflicting casualty figures and competing narratives underline the need for credible, transparent investigations capable of establishing responsibility.

Third, implementation of official recommendations.
The Kano inquiry has already produced findings and recommendations. The key question is whether those recommendations will translate into concrete action.

Two years after the demonstrations, the streets of Kano have returned to normal.

But for families still paying medical bills and survivors still carrying bullets and scars, the protest is not simply something that happened in 2024.

It remains an unfinished chapter.

For Rabiu Gama, the sound of gunfire changed the course of his life.

For Muhammad Alasan, a bullet remains lodged in his body.

And for their families, the question is no longer only what happened during the protests.

It is who will help them rebuild what was lost — and when