Amnesty accuses Nigerian army of extra judicial killings

Amnesty International on Tuesday accused the Nigerian military of extrajudicial killing of civilians in its troubled north and demanded an independent probe into a video showing soldiers slaughtering civilians.

"We have consistently been saying the Nigerian government needs to ensure that the culture of impunity which is entrenched within the Nigerian security services is addressed immediately," Netsanet Belay, AI's African Director, told Anadolu Agency.

"Investigation must be conducted and those found to have (committed) such atrocities must be held accountable," he said.

In a report released Tuesday Amnesty said it had obtained video footage showing civilian detainees being slaughtered by a combined team of soldiers and members of the government-backed Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) vigilante group.

"The footage, obtained from numerous sources during a recent trip to Borno state, reveals graphic evidence of multiple war crimes being carried out in Nigeria," it said.

"It includes horrific images of detainees having their throats alit one by one and dumped in mass graves by men who appear to be members of the Nigerian military and the 'civilian joint task force, state sponsored militias," added Amnesty.

The incident reportedly involved Boko Haram members captured during an attack on Giwa military barrack in Maiduguri, the provincial capital of the northeast Borno state.

"This shocking news evidence is further proof of the appealing disregard for humanity in northeastern Nigeria, where war crimes are being committed with abandon by all sides in the conflict," said Amnesty Secretary General Sail Shetty.

"What does it say about a country when members of its military carry out such unspeakable acts and then deliberately capture the image on film?" he asked.

"The ghastly images are made worse by the numerous testimonies we have gathered which suggest that extrajudicial executions are, in fact, regularly carried out by the Nigerian military and CJTF," Shetty said.

Northeastern Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states have been under emergency rule since May of last year.

Tens of thousands have died since Boko Haram launched its violent campaign in 2009 following the extrajudicial murder of its leader Mohammed Yusuf in police custody.

The group has also been blamed the destruction of public infrastructure, private businesses and displacement of at least six million Nigerians.

-Independent probe-

Amnesty demanded an "independent and impartial" probe into the video, a copy of which was mailed to AA.

"Heavy handedness and violations of international humanitarian laws will only contribute to perpetual cycle of violence," Belay told AA.

"Government needs to ensure that as part of its response to Boko Haram attacks it also needs to ensure that justice is delivered for atrocities committed," he said.

"We believe that justice is indeed one integral part of ensuring peaceful resolution of conflict," added the rights advocate.

The Nigerian military, for its part, said it was "deeply concerned" about the video.

In a statement, spokesman Chris Olukolade suggested that the videos could be part of "cases of impersonations that have pervaded the counterterrorism operations in Nigeria."

"Much as the scenes depicted in these videos are alien to our operations and doctrines, it has to be investigated to ensure that such practices have not crept surreptitiously into the system," he said.

Olukolade added that the army has constituted a team of senior officers and legal cum forensic experts to study the video footage to ascertain the veracity of the accusations.

"This will further determine and stimulate necessary legal action against any personnel or anyone found culpable in accordance with the provisions of the law," said the army spokesman.

By Rafiu Ajakaye

englishnews@aa.com.tr

www.aa.com.tr/en