By Evelyn
Okakwu
International
rights group, Amnesty international has listed nine top military officials for investigation
into alleged crimes, which it describes as war crimes committed in the fight
against terrorism.
The crimes
which were allegedly committed in north eastern Nigeria were documented in its
2015 report, titled: “Stars on their shoulders; Blood on their hands.”
The report
says: “Horrific war crimes were
committed by Nigeria’s military including 8,000 people murdered, starved, suffocated,
and tortured to death”.
“War crimes
committed by the Nigerian military, reveals that, since March 2011, more than
7,000 young men and boys died in military detention and more than 1,200 people
were unlawfully killed since February 2012.
Amnesty international's Africa director, Natsanet Belay who read the report to journalists said: “The Nigerian military, including senior military commanders, must
be investigated for participating in, sanctioning or failing to prevent the
deaths of more than 8,000 people murdered, starved, suffocated, and tortured to
death, according to a comprehensive report by Amnesty International”.
Amnesty
international in its report alleges that its findings are: “Based on years of
research and analysis of evidence - including leaked military reports and
correspondence, as well as interviews with more than 400 victims, eyewitnesses
and senior members of the Nigerian security forces - the organization outlines
a range of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the
Nigerian military in the course of the fight against Boko Haram in the
north-east of the country”.
It calls on
the new government of Nigeria to do what it describes as: “Ensuring the
protection of civilians and bringing to an end the culture of impunity within
the Nigerian armed forces”.
The military
listed by Amnesty international are as follows: Major General John Ewansiha, Major General Obida Ethnan, Major General
Ahmadu Mohammed Brigadier General Austin Edokpayi, Brigadier General Rufus O.
Bamigboye. Others are: General Azubuike Ihejirika - Chief of Army Staff, Sept
2010 - Jan 2014). Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, Chief of Defence Staff, Oct 2012 -
Jan 2014, Air Chief Marshal Badeh, Chief of Defence Staff, Jan 2014 - time of
writing General Ken Minimah, Chief of Army Staff, Jan 2014.
fielding questions from journalists on the right of the Military to torture and scrutinies terrorists, Anna Neistat, amnesty international's senior director of research, said: "The Nigerian Military cannot equate itself with a group which it has termed a terror group
fielding questions from journalists on the right of the Military to torture and scrutinies terrorists, Anna Neistat, amnesty international's senior director of research, said: "The Nigerian Military cannot equate itself with a group which it has termed a terror group
The report
further adds that: “A high-ranking military officer gave Amnesty International
a list of 683 detainees who died in custody between October 2012 and February
2013. The organization also obtained evidence that in 2013, more than 4,700
bodies were brought to a mortuary from a detention facility in Giwa barracks.
In June 2013 alone, more than 1,400 corpses were delivered to the mortuary from
this facility”.
Amnesty
international adds in its report that the new government must act swiftly in response
to its allegations: As a matter of urgency, the President must launch an
immediate and impartial investigation into the crimes detailed in Amnesty
International’s report and hold all those responsible to account, no matter
their rank or position. Only then can there be justice for the dead and their
relatives.”
the report covers the period of March 2011 till date.
the report covers the period of March 2011 till date.
