Amnesty International has documented serious human rights violations perpetrated by Nigeria’s security forces in the name of countering the threat to the public posed by Boko Haram
The international human rights group Amnesty International has accused Nigerian security forces, notably the Joint Task Force (JTF) of committing gross human rights violations, warning that the brutal actions of Nigeria’s security forces in response to Boko Haram’s campaign of terror are making an already desperate situation even worse, Amnesty International said in a report released yesterday.
The report, Nigeria: Trapped in the cycle of violence, documents the atrocities carried out by Boko Haram as well as the serious human rights violations carried out by the security forces in response, including enforced disappearance, torture, extrajudicial executions, the torching of homes and detention without trial.
“The cycle of attack and counter-attack has been marked by unlawful violence on both sides, with devastating consequences for the human rights of those trapped in the middle,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International, adding: “People are facing human rights violations at the hands of the very state security forces mandated with their protection.” As a leading actor on the African and international stage, Nigeria must address the inherent problems with its security forces and show real respect for the rule of law. “The security services must act within the law. You can’t build security through creating insecurity,” Shetty said.
The report documents human rights violations and abuses by state and non-state actors in the context of insecurity and violence in northern and central Nigeria. It sets out recommendations for the Nigerian government, focusing on the government’s obligations to protect people within its jurisdiction from human rights abuses by non-state actors and to ensure that human rights violations are not perpetrated by its security forces in the name of national security.
The report urges Nigeria to ensure that all measures taken in the name of national security are implemented in accordance with international human rights law. Illegal killings and other abuses of human rights by armed groups do not absolve governments of the responsibility to conduct security operations in a manner that is fully consistent with their human rights obligations. The report also calls on Boko Haram to cease all activities that result in human rights abuses.
Amnesty International met the Attorney General of the Federation following the launch of the report where he, on behalf of the President, made commitments to investigate all reports of human rights violations by the security forces and said that any state actor found responsible will be brought to justice.
Huhuonline.com understands that prior to the public launch, the findings of the report were shared in a confidential written briefing to the relevant government bodies in August. It was sent to the Minister of Police Affairs, the Minister of Interior, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Inspector General of Police, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Commissioners of Police for Borno and Kano states.
The document contained an appendix with the details of each case documented by Amnesty International, including the names, locations, the name of the relevant security agency involved, and requesting further information and an investigation into the reports. The identities of some people were withheld from the final report – a public document with a global readership – to protect their safety. (See web link below for full report)
