Amnesty International Nigeria has accused Nigerian government of using harsh, disproportionate measures to respond to legitimate security fears with gross human rights violations including torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
The International human right watch also warns of a dangerous crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly. This was disclosed by the organization 2016 Annual Report on presented on Wednesday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Center Abuja. “It said 2016 we witnessed governments responding to legitimate dissent with extreme measures that had devastating impacts on the civic space Auwal Rafsanjani chairman of the human right watch group said.
Rafsanjani further stated that security forces led by the military, embarked on a chilling campaign of arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances in south-east Nigeria. “Many individuals are still being detained incommunicado while state security agents have killed at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters” he said.
He added that the ongoing conflict between the Boko Haram armed group and the country’s security forces has affected more than 14 million people, with two million in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in Nigeria’s north-east. According to him, 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.
“The north-east of Nigeria descended into a major humanitarian emergency as a consequence of the conflict and the atrocities committed by all parties to the conflict. Once again, it is the poorest and most vulnerable people who pay the price.
“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” said Rafsanjani
The Media Manager of the International Human Right Watch organization further stated that in January, members of the Nigerian army raided the editorial offices of Premium Times and arrested journalists DapoOlorunyomi and Evelyn Okakwu. “They were subsequently released but the move sent a clear message to intimidate journalists and the media” he said.
