Amnesty International has accused Nigerian security forces of killing 150
peaceful pro-Biafra protesters and intimidating media professionals and
activists in the country.
In south-east Nigeria, security forces led by the military, embarked on a
chilling campaign of arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial executions and
enforced disappearances,” the non-governmental organisation focused on
human rights said in a report on Wednesday.
“Many individuals are still being detained incommunicado while state
security agents have killed at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters.”
“Many individuals are still being detained incommunicado while state
security agents have killed at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters.”
In the report it accused politicians of wielding “a toxic, dehumanising
‘us vs them’ rhetoric” and the Nigerian government of using “harsh,
disproportionate measures to respond to legitimate security fears”.
“2016 was the year when the cynical use of ‘us vs them’ narratives of
blame, hate and fear took on a global prominence to a level not seen since
the 1930s. Across the world, and in Nigeria specifically, we witnessed
governments responding to legitimate dissent with extreme measures that
had devastating impacts on the civic space,” Media Manager at Amnesty
International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said.
AI also warned of a serious crackdown on freedom of expression and
assembly, saying, “The past year has also seen a disturbing rise in
arrests and intimidation of media professionals and activists in Nigeria.
At least ten journalists and bloggers were arrested in 2016, some for
alleged connections to Boko Haram, in a crackdown that appears to have
been orchestrated to suffocate freedom of expression.”
Explaining further, it said the raid of the offices of Premium Times in
January by the police and arrest of the Publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi, and
judicial correspondent Evelyn Okakwu, “sent a clear message to intimidate
journalists and the media”.
The NGO also said the Boko Haram insurgency had left millions in need of
urgent humanitarian assistance.
“The armed conflict drove millions from their homes, leaving them living
in squalid conditions in camps under heavy military guard and without
adequate access to food, water and medical care. Throughout the year,
hundreds died in these camps because of malnutrition,” it said.