Group: Over 22,000 Persons Killed in Three Years

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

A human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has said that over 22,000 persons have been killed extra-judicially since 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari took over the government.

The group said the killings were mainly by Boko Haram terror group, Fulani herdsmen, security agents and those it described as Zamfara bandits.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the group, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi stated thisyesterday, while briefing journalists in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the group.
The group announced that it was dedicating its tenth anniversary to victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It highlighted the killings embarked by the various groups, saying that Christians were the worst hit in the spate of killing in Nigeria.

“In the list of those mourned and remembered today by Intersociety are unarmed and defenseless citizens massacred since June 2015 by the trio of Boko Haram, “Zamfara Bandits” and Jihadists operating under the color of Fulani herdsmen.

“They include 8,920 Christians massacred by Fulani jihadists and Boko Haram, 4,470 muslims massacred by fellow violent muslim groups; Boko Haram and Zamfara bandits, 5,400 Christians massacred by Fulani jihadists since June 2015 and 1,870 others since January 2018 as well as 411 children killed by Boko Haram in 2017.”

The group also put at 9,000 victims of police custodial and extra judicial killings in Nigeria in the past three years. It put at 3,000 the annual rate of extra judicial killings by the security forces.

“The decision to dedicate the 10th birthday of our organisation is in strong recognition of the fact that international crimes not only grievously violate individual victims’ rights and annihilate their properties but also touch humanity in all of us,” he said.

“Our quest for justice for victims of crimes against humanity and war crimes can never be overturned. We call on apostles of justice and lovers of human rights across Nigeria and around the globe including the authorities of Civitas Maxima, Geneva, Switzerland to pay special attention to Nigeria and adopt it as one of their focus areas,” he added.