LAGOS, Aug 7, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Amnesty International has accused Nigerian security forces of killing at least 21 protesters during a week of economic hardship rallies, the national head of the rights group told AFP on Wednesday.

Police have clamped down on protests after thousands of people joined rallies against government policies and the high cost of living last week. Protests have since dwindled significantly.

AFP correspondents have seen security forces shooting rifles above crowds of demonstrators and firing tear gas to break up rallies.

Security forces have denied responsibility for deaths during the protests, and police in Kano have not responded to AFP's requests for comment.

Raising an earlier toll of 13, Amnesty's Nigeria director Isa Sanusi said the group had verified seven further killings in Kano and one in Azare, in northeastern Bauchi state.

In an interview with AFP, he said this represented a "conservative figure" and that Amnesty was investigating more deaths.

Sanusi said the 21 people were all protesters killed by security forces.
 
He condemned the use of live ammunition and called for investigations into the conduct of security forces.

"Their duty is to restore order and make sure that protesters are protected," he said.

Africa's most populous country is suffering its worst economic crisis in a generation following reforms brought in last year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Dubbed #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria, the protest movement won support with an online campaign that called for the government to reduce fuel prices and tackle the cost of living crisis, among other demands.

The rallies have petered out in many parts of the country, but hundreds of protesters took to the streets in northern states earlier this week.