Nigeria

Nigeria: Unlawful killings by Boko Haram may constitute crimes against humanity

Published by on November 6, 2013

6 November 2013 Amnesty International Amnesty International strongly condemns the unlawful killings of members of the public in northern Nigeria. The killing of at least 115 people in the last two weeks by unknown gunmen and other suspected members of Boko Haram may constitute crimes against humanity as defined in Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which Nigeria is a state party. The deteriorating trend in the human rights and security situation in north-eastern Nigeria has further put the rights to life of many Nigerians at risk View full statement here.

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Nigeria: Deaths of hundreds of Boko Haram suspects in custody requires investigation

Published by on October 15, 2013

Amnesty International The deaths of hundreds of people in detention facilities run by Nigeria’s military Joint Task Force (JTF) must be investigated as a matter of urgency, Amnesty International said today. Amnesty International has received credible information from a senior officer in the Nigerian Army that over 950 people died in military custody in the first six months of 2013 alone. Most of the reported deaths occurred in facilities used by the military to detain people suspected of being members of or associated with the armed Islamist group Boko Haram. “The evidence we’ve gathered suggests that hundreds of people died Read the full article…

The rise of Nigeria’s Boko Haram

Published by on September 18, 2013

Yvonne Ndege and Azad Essa, Al Jazeera 18 September 2013 Since 2009, an estimated 3,600 people have been killed in an insurgency launched by the group known as Boko Haram, which says it wants to establish an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria. Boko Haram has repeatedly attacked schools, churches, mosques and markets, but state institutions such as police stations and military facilities have remained primary targets. Following a public outcry, the Nigerian government declared a state of emergency in three states in May this year and launched a military offensive against the group. An army spokesman said Wednesday that a Read the full article…

Making love a crime: Criminalization of same-sex conduct in Sub-Saharan Africa

Published by on June 25, 2013

Amnesty International 25 June 2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides an analysis of the legal environment and wider context of human rights violations against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) individuals in sub-Saharan Africa. Recent years have seen increasing reports of people being harassed, marginalized, discriminated against and attacked because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. This is occurring in countries whose legal systems still condone the criminalization of consensual same-sex behaviour, and in countries where the police and justice systems are failing to prevent these crimes from happening. The continued criminalization of consensual same-sex Read the full article…

Nigeria: ICRC Annual report 2012

Published by on May 1, 2013

International Committee of the Red Cross 1 May 2013 Poverty and inadequate basic services continued to characterize everyday life for most Nigerians. Public interest focused on reports of embezzlement of State funds and the widespread flooding in 16 of Nigeria’s 36 states, adversely affecting agricultural production and the lives of tens of thousands of people. Armed confrontations in central, northern and north-eastern states resulted in many deaths and injuries, overstretching hospitals and emergency medical services. In Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Plateau states, intercommunal clashes caused casualties, while general insecurity persisted owing to attacks on public markets and on government, Read the full article…

Nigeria: Massive Destruction, Deaths From Military Raid

Published by on May 1, 2013

Human Rights Watch 1 May 2013 Satellite images reveal massive destruction of civilian property from a military raid on April 16 and 17, 2013, in the northern Nigerian town of Baga, undermining the military’s claim that only 30 houses were destroyed, Human Rights Watch said today. The Nigerian government should thoroughly and impartially investigate allegations that soldiers carried out widespread destruction and killing in the town. Baga residents told Human Rights Watch that soldiers ransacked the town after the Boko Haram militant Islamist group attacked a military patrol, killing a soldier. Community leaders said that immediately after the attack they Read the full article…

Nigeria: US Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2012

Published by on April 19, 2013

United States Department of State 19 April 2013 Summary Nigeria is a federal republic of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In April 2011 President Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had assumed the presidency in May 2010 following his predecessor’s death, won election to a four-year term, along with Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, also of the PDP. International and domestic election observers considered the April 2011 presidential, gubernatorial, and legislative elections to be generally credible, orderly, and a substantial improvement over the flawed 2007 elections. However, there were reports of fraud and Read the full article…

Human Rights and Democracy: The 2012 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report

Published by on April 1, 2013

UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office April 2013 SECTION IX: Human Rights in the Countries of Concern This section contains our review of the human rights situation in 27 countries where the UK Government has wide-ranging concerns. For this year’s report, we decided to review thoroughly the criteria we use for deciding which countries are of most human rights concern to the UK. We drew on feedback from the Foreign Affairs Committee and consulted with the Foreign Secretary’s Advisory Group on Human Rights in doing so. Our geographical directors, with input from our embassies and high commissions overseas, subsequently assessed all Read the full article…

Nigeria: Human Rights Watch World Report 2013

Published by on January 31, 2013

Human Rights Watch World Report 2013 - Nigeria Published 31st January 2013 Introduction Attacks by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram and abuses by government security forces led to spiraling violence across northern and central Nigeria. This violence, which first erupted in 2009, has claimed more than 3,000 lives. The group, which seeks to impose a strict form of Sharia, or Islamic law, in northern Nigeria and end government corruption, launched hundreds of attacks in 2012 against police officers, Christians, and Muslims who cooperate with the government or oppose the group. In the name of ending Boko Haram’s threat to Read the full article…