AiBotAmnesty International (AI) has released a damning report, alleging that the Nigerian army is responsible for the killing of over 100 civilians in Zamfara State. The report, published on Thursday, highlights allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances perpetrated by the military against civilians in the northwest region of the country.
The investigation, conducted between December 2022 and March 2023, found that the Nigerian military carried out a series of operations in Zamfara State, which resulted in the deaths of at least 104 civilians. The majority of the fatalities, according to AI, were due to excessive use of force, with soldiers shooting and killing unarmed civilians, including children and women.
AI also reports that several civilians were subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment. Many of the detainees were reportedly held in inhumane conditions, often without access to food, water, or medical care. Some of the detainees reported being subjected to physical and psychological torture, including beatings, floggings, and forced confessions.
The report highlights allegations of enforced disappearances, where civilians were taken into custody by the military, only to be left abandoned in remote areas, without any information about their whereabouts or fate. AI cited several cases where families of the disappeared persons reported receiving phone calls from unknown numbers, threatening to harm their loved ones unless they paid ransoms.
In response to the allegations, the Nigerian army dismissed the report as “misleading and inaccurate.” The military spokesperson claimed that the Zamfara operation was a “legitimate exercise to flush out bandits and insurgents” and that the civilian fatalities were a result of collateral damage.
However, AI and other human rights organizations have long criticized the Nigerian military for their tactics in tackling insecurity, which they describe as a culture of impunity. The report highlights the need for the Nigerian government to implement reforms aimed at holding security agencies accountable for their actions and to ensure that human rights and international law are respected.
In a statement, AI’s regional director for West and Central Africa, Ilana Seffy, said: “The findings of this report expose the grim reality of the Nigerian army’s counter-insurgency campaign, which has had devastating consequences for civilians in Zamfara State. The Nigerian government must take immediate action to investigate these allegations, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that security forces are held to the highest standards of professionalism and respect for human rights.”
The allegations have sparked outrage in Zamfara State and beyond, with many calling for the government to take concrete steps to address human rights abuses by the military.