Thousands Killed In Nigeria Clashes
More than 3,600 people have been killed in clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria since 2016, Amnesty International said on Monday, blaming the government’s failure to punish the perpetrators for fuelling the violence.
The international human rights organisation said more than 2,000 were killed in 2018 alone, while the bloodshed had made thousands of other people homeless.
 |
| Thousands Killed In Nigeria Clashes |
“The Nigerian authorities’ failure to investigate communal clashes and bring perpetrators to justice has fuelled a bloody escalation in the conflict between farmers and herders across the country, resulting in at least 3,641 deaths in the past three years and the displacement of thousands,” Amnesty said in a statement.
Of the 310 attacks recorded between January 2016 and October 2018, it said 57% were in 2018 and were most frequent in Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba and Plateau.
The rights group also accused Nigerian security forces of not doing enough to stop the killings.
“Security forces are often positioned close to the attacks, which can sometimes last for days, and yet have been slow to act,” it said.
In some cases, forces were warned of an imminent raid but did nothing to prevent the killings, looting or burning of homes.
"In some places ... competition over resources is used as a pretext to kill and maim along ethnic or religious lines"AMNESTY DIRECTOR IN NIGERIA
“The Nigerian government has displayed what can only be described as gross incompetence and has failed in its duty to protect the lives of its population,” Nigeria’s Amnesty International director Osai Ojigho said.
“Our research shows that these attacks were well planned and co-ordinated, with the use of weapons like machine guns and AK47 rifles,” Ojigho said.
“In some places, because of the failures of the security forces, competition over resources is used as a pretext to kill and maim along ethnic or religious lines.
“The conflict has been dangerously politicised by some state government officials, who have inflamed tensions by embarking on a blame game along political party lines.”
The Nigerian army on Monday rejected the Amnesty report, accusing the global watchdog of “unfounded allegations against the leadership of the Nigerian military”.
Army spokesperson Sani Usman said in a statement that Nigerians should ignore the report, which he said was intended to “destabilise and dismember” the country.
“The Nigerian Army has no option than to call for the closure of Amnesty International offices in Nigeria, if such recklessness continues,” he warned.
The farmer-herder violence is putting further pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari, who is battling a nineyear insurgency by the Boko Haram jihadist group in the northeast.
The 76-year-old retired general has come under fire for his inability to end the country’s security challenges as he seeks a second term in office in February elections.
Boko Haram has stepped up attacks on farmers and loggers in recent months, accusing them of passing information about the group to the military.
In the latest attack, four farmers were shot dead as they slept in rice fields in a village outside the Nigerian city of Maiduguri, survivors and local militia said on Monday.
In November, the insurgents killed nine farmers and abducted 12 others in Mammanti village, near Maiduguri.
Meanwhile, hundreds fled late on Sunday after Boko Haram burned their homes near the northeastern city of Maiduguri, residents said.
Boko Haram fighters in several trucks stormed Maiborti village, 5km outside Maiduguri, firing indiscriminately and setting fire to homes, they said.
A military officer who did not want to be identified said troops and fighter jets were deployed to the village and scrambled to push out the militants after “fierce battle”.
It was not clear if there were casualties in the attack, which once again highlighted the fragile security situation in the restive region.
“They [Boko Haram] came around 5.30pm and started firing in the village which made us abandon our homes and flee to Maiduguri,” Maiborti resident Abacha Kaka said.
Militia leader Babakura Kolo said the jihadists were later forced out of the village by troops with aerial support.
“Unfortunately, the terrorists succeeded in setting fire to the village and burning it down completely,” he said.
Boko Haram has in recent months launched attacks in a bid to capture Maiduguri, the birthplace of its founder Mohammed Yusuf.
In November, the jihadists attacked Jimmi village just outside the city, killing one person and stealing livestock.
In April, Boko Haram fighters launched an attack on Jiddari-Polo, outside the city.
The Islamist group has attacked at least 20 military bases in recent weeks, killing dozens of soldiers and taking weapons.
Boko Haram’s nine-year rebellion has killed at least 27,000 and forced more than two-million to flee.
Post a Comment