Kehinde Fajobi
Amnesty International has reported that at least 10,000 people have died in military custody since the Boko Haram conflict began in North-east Nigeria.
At a press conference on Thursday, Malam Isa Sunusi, the Country Director of Amnesty International, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to holding the government accountable for its role in the ongoing human rights abuses in the region.
“We are in Maiduguri to remind the government of the need for justice,” Sunusi said.
He emphasised that while the war against Boko Haram could soon end, the trauma caused by both the insurgents and the military would linger unless justice was served for the victims.
Amnesty International has filed a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing the Nigerian military of crimes against humanity.
Sunusi explained, “The Nigerian military has often treated anyone in, or coming out of, Boko Haram-controlled areas as, at minimum, a suspected Boko Haram member.”
He detailed several documented war crimes by the Nigerian military, including extrajudicial executions, torture, and sexual violence.
Sunusi further stated that “individuals in the Nigerian military may have committed crimes against humanity, including murder, extermination, imprisonment, torture, rape, enforced disappearance, and gender-based persecution.”
The organisation’s report also highlighted Boko Haram’s widespread atrocities, including mass civilian killings, abductions, and attacks on schools.
“Throughout the conflict, Boko Haram has committed war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law,” Sunusi said, adding that the group systematically targeted civilians and committed numerous acts of violence.
Amnesty’s 2015 report found that Boko Haram had an organised policy to attack civilian populations, with Sunusi urging the government to investigate the group’s leaders for crimes against humanity.
The Country Director also called for increased support for the young women and girls who have suffered at the hands of both Boko Haram and the military.
“Girls who were abducted, trafficked, and forced into sex slavery suffered horrific abuses. Many of them experienced a second round of atrocities when they were handed over to the military,” he stated.
Sunusi stressed that the Nigerian government had largely neglected these survivors, failing to provide adequate rehabilitation and reintegration.
“The government must do the right thing and ensure justice for these girls,” he urged.