By Innocent Anaba
LAGOS— No fewer than 101,500 defenseless Nigerians were allegedly murdered since 1999. Of this figure, 47,500 occurred in the last five years and 9,700 since May 29, 2015.
This was contained in a report released by International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law and South-East Based Coalition of Human Rights Organisations, SBCHROs, Intersociety/SBCHROs, in Onitsha, Anambra State, to mark the 68th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR.
Chairman, Intersociety, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, who spoke when the groups released the report, said: “The updates done by Intersociety clearly show that deaths arising from killing outside the law have gone spiral and surged, hitting over 101,500 between June 1999 and December 2016.
“From over 54,000 deaths in December 2011, it further shows that over 47,500 unarmed citizens were killed in five years, between December 2011 and December 2016; out of which over 9,700 criminal deaths took place in 17 months of the Buhari administration or since June 2015.
“The total criminal deaths hit 101,500 in 17 years and 47,500 in five years of 2011-2016 following addition of about 8,000 criminal deaths or civilian detainees’ custodial deaths which Amnesty International, AI, in its report of 2015 linked to the Nigerian Army in the course of its counter insurgency operations in the northeast Nigeria.
“The AI had in 2015 found that the Nigerian military had executed at least 1,200 men and boys between 2012 and 2014 and was responsible for the deaths in custody of another 7,000.
“Statistical highlights: Over 101,500 criminal deaths in 17 years or since 1999, on average of 5,970 for each of the seventeen past years; Over 54,000 criminal deaths as at December 2011 on average of 4500 for each of those past 12 years as at December 2011; over 47,500 additional criminal deaths in five years or since January 2012, on average of 9,500 for each of the five years; Boko Haram accounted for not less than 17,000 criminal deaths in five years or since December 2011 on average of 3400 for each of the five years.
“Over 1,500 state murders mostly perpetrated by the Nigerian Army occurred under 17 months of the Buhari administration, including over 1,120 Shiite deaths and 250 pro-Biafra activists’ deaths on average of 88 for each of the 17 months; Over 700 cases of attempted murder representing IMN and Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, members shot and terminally injured courtesy of the Nigerian Army; Over 9,700 criminal deaths recorded in 17 months of the Buhari administration on average of 570 for each of the 17 months.
“Custodial deaths or deaths in detention custodies mostly perpetrated by Police SARS, SCIDs and Army (during counter insurgency operations) accounted for not less than 21,500 in five years or since 2011 on average of 4,300 for each of the five years and 350 monthly; Over 6,000 killed by Fulani killers in five years or since 2011 on average of 1,200 for each of the five years. A variant of Fulani attacks accounted for at least 600 deaths in Zamfara State as at 2015.
“Boko Haram killed not less than 2,500 in 17 months of the Buhari administration on average of 147 for each of the 17 months. Fulani attacks killed not less than 1,700 under 17 months of the Buhari administration on average of 100 for each of the 17 months; Over 4,000 custodial deaths (Police SARS and SCIDs-3500; Army and others-500) occurred under the Buhari administration on average of 23 for each of the seventeen months.”
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