The United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Ms. Agnes Callamard, on Monday condemned the increase in violence across Nigeria and urged the government to stop extra-judicial killings by security forces in the country, reported Reuters.
“The situation in the north-central appears to be spreading to other parts of the country. There is a need for urgent actions to end the violence which is claiming thousands of lives,” Callamard said during a press conference on Monday in Abuja.
Nigeria is currently facing violent attacks due to clashes between nomadic herders and farmers and by the armed group Boko Haram.
“The overall situation that I encountered in Nigeria gives rise to extreme concern … The warning signs are flashing bright red: increased numbers of attacks and killings over the last five years with a few notable exceptions,” Callamard said.
The UN human rights expert warned that if the government ignores the crisis in central Nigeria, its ripple effects will spread through the-sub region given Nigeria’s important role in the continent. She said the major victim will be the vulnerable population in the country. She went on to condemn the police and military’s brutality across the country, and a generalised system of impunity.
Callamard added that the suspected perpetrators whether they are Boko Haram, other split groups or even security agencies must also be held accountable for the attacks. She said the country required changes in the judiciary, police, and military to stop people resorting to violence in the absence of justice.
During Callamard’s 12-day visit to Nigeria, she met with various stakeholders, including government officials, right groups, civil society groups, the media and victims of abuses, including survivors, witnesses and family members whose relatives were killed in the attacks.
According to the United Nations, it is estimated that over 27,000 people have been killed and an estimated two million others displaced in Nigeria’s northeast alone because of Boko Haram.
