London-based non-governmental organization focused on human rights, Amnesty International, has launched its 2017/2018 edition annual report detailing state of human rights in 159 countries, including Nigeria.
TheNewsGuru reports the 409-page report, which lists human rights abuses from the civil war in Syria to Police brutality in Kenya, covers all major human rights issues in Nigeria.
“The armed group Boko Haram continued to carry out attacks, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Reports continued of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and torture and other ill-treatment, which, in some cases, led to deaths in custody.
“Conditions in military detention conditions were harsh. Communal violence occurred across the country. Thousands of people were forcibly evicted from their homes,” the report noted.
The report listed the fifteen human rights challenges facing Nigeria to include armed conflict; arbitrary arrests and detentions; internally displaced people (IDPs); lack of accountability; unlawful killings; torture and other ill-treatment, and communal violence.
Other challenges the report listed are right to housing and forced evictions; women’s rights; human rights defenders; freedom of assembly and association; freedom of expression; corporate accountability; rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people, and death penalty.
Boko Haram Conflict
– The group carried out 65 attacks causing 411 civilian deaths in 2017
– In May 82 Chibok girls abducted in 2014 were released.
– Sixteen women, including ’10 police women abducted in June.
– In July 3 oil prospectors were abducted and 40 others killed.
Internally Displaced Persons
– There are at least 1.7 million Internally Displaced Persons in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
– Thirty nine per cent live in camps, while 61% live in host communities.
– 5.4 million people in north east remain in urgent need of food assistance.
Arbitrary Arrests
– The military arbitrarily arrested and held thousands of young men, women and children in Giwa Barracks.
– By April the military held more than 4,900 in the extremely overcrowded facility.
– Disease, dehydration and starvation killed at least 340 detainees.
Torture and ill-treatment
– Ibraheem El Zakzaky, leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria and his wife held by govt. without trial since December 2015.
– Court order for the release and compensation of El Zakzaky was ignored by the government.
Unlawful killings
– At least 12 IPOB members were killed by soldiers in Umuahia in Abia state on September 14.
– There was outrage over activities of #SARS, and after huge pressure police agreed to reform the squad.
Communal violence
– Lingering violence between herders and farmers claimed more than 549 and displaced thousands in 12 states.
– In June dozens of mostly herdsmen and their families were killed in Mambilla Plateau in Taraba state.
Right to Housing and Forced Evictions
– Authorities in Lagos, Imo and River states continued forcibly evict thousands of residents.
– In Lagos state at least 5,000 people were forcibly evicted from Otodo Gbame and Ilubirin in March and April.
Freedom of Assembly
– The security forces disrupted, in some cases violently and with excessive force, peaceful protests and assemblies.
– The police continued to deny IMN, which was banned by the Kaduna state government in 2016, the right to peaceful protest.
Freedom of Expression
– Journalists were harassed, intimidated and arrested.
– On 19 January, police raided the offices of Premium Times and arrested publisher Dapo Olorunyomi and correspondent Evelyn Okakwu for several hours.
Niger Delta
– Environmental pollution linked to the oil industry continued to undermine the economic, social and cultural rights of the Niger Delta communities
– The government took limited steps to address pollution in the Ogoniland of the Niger Delta. But it was slow so far.
Women’s Rights
– IDP women reported gender based violence including rape and sexual exploitation, often in exchange for food by the military & members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
– A group of women who were previously confined to Bama IDP camp campaigned for the release of their husbands.
Human Rights Defenders
– Human rights defenders continued to face intimidation for their work.
– Parliament debated a bill to regulate and restrict activities of NGO’s.
– If passed the bill will establish an agency that will keep a register of all NGO’s
Death Penalty
– Death sentences continued to be imposed;
– No executions were recorded.
Amnesty found that, in the face of oppression, many were inspired to join movements that delivered human rights victories.
“As we enter the year in which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 70, it is abundantly clear that none of us can take our human rights for granted,” Salil Shetty, Amnesty International Secretary General stated in the foreword of the report.