BUSTED! Nigeria Military Exposed By Amnesty Int’l, Reveals 10,000 Civilians Have In Their Custody
Amnesty International has said that at least 10,000 people died in military custody since the Boko Haram conflict in the North-East of Nigeria began.
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Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the Country Director of the human rights organisation, Malam Isa Sanusi, said they were in Maiduguri to remind the government of the need for justice.
Sanusi observed that the war against Boko Haram would soon come to an end, if justice is served on people whose lives had been shattered by Boko Haram and the military.
He said that the organisation had filed a case before the International Court of Justice at Hague over alleged crimes against humanity in the North-East region.
“Amnesty International has documented war crimes by government forces, including intentional attacks against the civilian population; indiscriminate attacks that have killed or injured civilians; extrajudicial executions, which also constitute the war crime of murder; torture; cruel treatment; rape; and sexual violence.
“In addition, Amnesty International believes that individuals in the Nigerian military may have committed the crimes against humanity of murder; extermination; imprisonment; torture; rape; enforced disappearance; and gender-based persecution, after having concluded in a 2015 report that the Nigerian military likely had a policy to attack a civilian population and had done so in a widespread and systematic nature.
“At least 10,000 people have died in military custody since the conflict in North-East Nigeria began,” Amnesty International said in a report documented in response to the military atrocities in its operations in the theatre.
The 144-page report made available to newsmen at the conference also accused Boko Haram of killing thousands of civilians during attacks on towns and villages, and carried out widespread abductions, especially of girls, boys and younger women.
On a more positive note, Nigerian troops have recovered over 53 million litres of stolen crude oil and other refined petroleum products, estimated at over N57 billion in 2024.
This was disclosed by Edward Buba, director of Defence Media Operations, during a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja.
Buba highlighted the military’s commitment to combating oil theft, safeguarding national resources, and enhancing security across the country.
The defence headquarters reported that a total of 53,101,430 litres of stolen crude oil, 9,179,181 litres of illegally refined diesel, 90,595 litres of kerosene, and 156,095 litres of petrol, among other items, were recovered.
“The total value of these recoveries is estimated at N57 billion”, he added.
Additionally, Buba provided an update on the military’s operations since the start of the year, which have resulted in significant gains.
He stated that troops have neutralised 8,034 terrorists, arrested 11,623 individuals, and rescued 6,376 hostages.
In the period under review, they have also seized a substantial number of weapons and ammunition, including 4,053 AK-47 rifles, 1,123 locally fabricated guns, 731 dane guns, and 240 pump-action guns.
According to Buba, the total ammunition recovery includes 120,247 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 41,515 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 5,373 cartridges, 1,940 assorted arms, and 25,664 rounds of assorted ammunition.
He further noted that these successes were achieved across the five active theatres of operation, namely the North-East (NE), North-West (NW), North-Central (NC), South-South (SS), and South-East (SE), where troops have faced a variety of security challenges.
The military, according to him, has maintained a heightened state of readiness to protect the nation from terrorist threats and other forms of insecurity.
“The ongoing operations are crucial to the military’s strategy of neutralizing terrorist activities and creating safer conditions for citizens.
“The Nigerian Armed Forces continue to adapt and improve their strategies, steadily moving toward victory in the fight against terrorism and insecurity”, Buba noted.
In other news, the Nigerian Navy, members of the National Assembly and Coalition of Civil Society Groups have joined the opposition to the Bill for an Act to establish Nigerian Coast Guard.
Recall that the Senate Committee on Marine Transport had slated November 7 for the public hearing on the bill, but was shifted due to the demise of the Chief of Army Staff, General Taoreed Lagbaja.
The bill sponsored by Senator Wasiu Eshilokun (APC: Lagos) has the overriding intent to enact legislation that sought to make Nigerian Coast Guard a full-fledged military service and a branch of the Armed Forces of Nigeria; to be domiciled under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
At the public hearing held in National Assembly Library on Thursday, the Nigerian Navy seriously objected to the establishment of the Nigerian Coast Guard, citing duplicity of functions, security threats, incoherent crafting of the bills, resource constraints, economic imperatives of nature, among others.
The Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, took his time to analyse both Nigeria’s maritime security needs and global best practices, with huge global examples of consolidated maritime security frameworks.
He said, “United Kingdom does not have a Coast Guard with military powers similar to those being proposed in this bill. Rather, the Royal Navy is responsible for military defence and maritime security operations, including facial protection, and this is quoted from the House of Commons briefing paper of 2020.
“On the other hand, the UK Coast Guard, is under the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency, which manages search and rescue and occupational safety. In fact, the UK Coast Guard is also known as a volunteer. Coast Guard is not funded by the government but by charity.
“The UK example is a symbol, where resourceful Naval Force, with complementary civilian agencies work to manage maritime safety.
“Then let’s look at the United States of America. The Coast Guard and the Navy. The US Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security, focusing on law enforcement, environmental protection, search and rescue; while the US Navy under the Department of Defence is primarily an expeditionary force projecting power far beyond the shores.
“South Africa has opted to enhance its network capacity instead of establishing the Coast Guard, recognising budget constraints and prioritising the unified labour force for all maritime security and defence.
“South Africa Navy performs both military rules and law enforcement functions supported by government agencies and non-military tasks like environmental protection and the likes.
“This approach is similar to what is done in Nigeria and several developing countries. It minimises redundancy and ensures that the country’s limited resources are well managed.
“Given Nigeria’s more regional maritime focus and resource constraints, creating a similar structure will lead to redundant functions and stretch limited resources”.
On his part, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, said Nigeria is living on borrowed funds, saying it is improper to take loan and establish a new agency. Oshiomhole also queried the rational behind establishing a ministry service and domiciled under a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, instead of Defence.
“So why do we need an Armed Forces to be controlled by blue economy to become the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence?”, Oshiomhole asked.
Also speaking on a very strong opposition to the bill, a member representing Ado/ Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, Rep. Philip Agbese, said what Nigeria needed was to strengthen the existing agencies and institutions to function to maximum, rather than creating irrelevant agencies, which duties are already being performed by others.
Agbese who is the Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, also expressed disappointment that agencies under the Marine Ministry which objected to the establishment of Nigeria Marine Corps during a public hearing two weeks ago, could hypocritically come up to support the establishment of Nigerian Coast Guard, which shares similar objectives with the Marine Corps Bill.
“I was at the House of Representatives committee public hearing, Navy in particular, where the other committees were incorporated to dissect the issue of Marine Corps Bill. And I know the position of all the agencies in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
“They categorically submitted at the public hearing that there was no need for any further agency to support what the Navy is doing.
“I can see the faces of many persons there that they are also here. So, whereas they told us a different thing in the House of Representatives that such an agency is not necessary, here today, they are here to support bill, that it is now necessary. What’s the difference between 14 days ago and today that we suddenly need that?”, Agbese said.
Agbese referred to state security outfits created by some state governors few years ago, including the Amotekun created in Osun State, where the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, was governor, with the mandate to ending insecurity, only for security challenges to keep increasing; adding that, creating Coast Guard would not in any way end insecurity in the waterways.
Various speakers, including Dr. Emeka Akabogu, Honorary Secretary of Nigerian Maritime Law Association; Rear Admiral Chris Ezekobe (rtd.), and Igwe Ude Umanta, who spoke on behalf of coalition of other 10 civil society groups, all rejected the establishment of Nigerian Coast Guard, urging the Senate to drop the bill.
