Amnesty International opens Abuja office to investigate allegations of military abuses

HUMAN rights watchdog Amnesty International has opened an office in Nigeria as part of a renewed push to investigate allegations of military abuses in oil-producing communities and charges of extra-judicial of civilians in the fight against Boko Haram.

 

Given the number of challenges the Nigerian military are faced with, troops have regularly been accused of resorting to taking short cuts in the search for solutions. In many cases, innocent civilians have been killed, attacked, forcefully evicted from their homes and summarily executed by the Nigerian Army during the course of its work.

 

According to the Amnesty International report published in April, more than 8,000 people have died while being held prisoner by Nigeria’s armed forces, many of them deliberately killed. In the 133-page report, the human rights body said more than 1,200 people had been extra-judicially executed between March 2011 and April 2015, with over 7,000 killed in military detention due to starvation, overcrowding, torture and the denial of medical assistance.

 

Amnesty International's report added that many of the people executed by the armed forces had been shot dead inside detention facilities, despite presenting no danger, in violation of international humanitarian laws. It said its report was based on about 400 interviews with sources including victims, eyewitnesses and members of the armed forces, as well as videos and photographs.

 

Yesterday, the watchdog opened its new offices in Abuja and appointed veteran Nigerian career diplomat Mr MK Ibrahim to head it. He added that the new government invited Amnesty International into the country its report accusing Nigeria’s military of killing unarmed civilians.

 

Mr Ibrahim said: “From the relatives of the thousands killed and missing in northeast Nigeria to the thousands of villagers in the Niger Delta who cannot plant crops or drink clean water because of oil pollution, Amnesty International will stand in solidarity with all the people in Nigeria who face human rights violations and abuses.”

 

Among the past atrocities reported include the deaths of some 3,000 people in military detention within a matter of months in 2013. There was also the alleged shooting of hundreds of unarmed detainees freed from a prison in Maiduguri last year following a Boko Haram attack on the facility.

 

Upon assuming office on May 29, President Muhammadu Buhari, promised to investigate the charges. However, he told Amnesty International that the investigation can start only after the appointment of a justice minister and attorney general of the federation.