Human Rights In Nigeria: Violence, Death And Injustice 

Amnesty International has prepared a report about the main human rights issues people face in Nigeria. 


Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who take injustice personally. They are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all.
The report says that the human rights situation in Nigeria is “pretty shocking”. According to it, women, men and children live in constant fear of murder and abduction by Boko Haram and of arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention, torture and even execution at the hands of the military.
Amnesty International notes that it is not just the violence in the north-east of the country that is extremely worrying. The problems within Nigeria’s justice system, for example, are deeply entrenched.
The research says:

• “68% of the 55,000 people held in Nigeria’s overcrowded prisons have been convicted but have been waiting, many for years, for their cases to conclude.”
• “Poverty and inequality are also major issues, with millions of people lacking access to adequate housing, being forcibly evicted from their homes and even lacking drinking water.”
• “Around the Niger Delta, entire communities live at the mercy of unscrupulous oil companies who have polluted their land, devastating the environment that people depend on for food, water and livelihoods.”

Boko Haram is responsible for much of the violence and death that has rocked large parts of Nigeria, the authors states. The government claims they are trying to stop Boko Haram and make people in the country safe. They have also promised to end human rights violations by security forces and to make international human rights treaties part of national laws, including by criminalising torture.
But the report also states: “In reality, however, the problem is that those responsible for human rights violations, including members of the military and police, are rarely held to account, sending the message that they can get away with it.
Despite an official stance by the authorities that human rights violations by the military and police in Nigeria happen because of a few “bad eggs”, evidence shows that the problems are systematic.”
The human rights organisation advises some steps authorities should take without delay:

1. Initiating a thorough plan to reform the police force and the justice sector
2. imposing a moratorium on executions with a view to ultimately abolishing the death penalty and introducing a law to establish safeguards against forced evictions
3. Some of the changes will need financial investment others just implementation and enforcement of existing legislation and regulations

They also advise that leaders and candidates must refrain from inflammatory campaign rhetoric and the government and security forces must do all in their power to ensure the protection of civilians and the respect for human rights before.
Amnesty International urges the new government to put human rights at the top of its agenda in order to break Nigeria’s nationwide cycle of violence.
The analysts say: “The new government must initiate independent, impartial and thorough investigations into allegations of crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed by members of Boko Haram and the Nigerian military. They should also take immediate measures to guarantee the safety, security and protection of civilians and their property in the communities affected by the ongoing violence.”