Amnesty International, AI, has accused the Nigerian military of committing gross human rights violations against survivors of Boko Haram captivity.
At a press conference in Maiduguri on Thursday, the organisation’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, alleged that at least 10,000 people have died in military custody since the insurgency began in North East Nigeria.
Sanusi highlighted that survivors of Boko Haram’s atrocities, particularly women and girls, have endured further abuses under military custody.
According to him, AI has documented war crimes by the military, including extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, and indiscriminate attacks that have killed civilians.
“The Nigerian military has often treated anyone in, or coming out of, Boko Haram-controlled areas as, at minimum, a suspected Boko Haram member,” he said.
AI’s 144-page report, Girls Survivors of Boko Haram and Military Abuses in North-east Nigeria, detailed horrific accounts of abuse endured by women and girls.
“The Boko Haram use these young girls, they called them wives, and forcefully married them, subjected into many years of domestic slavery, sexual violence and forced pregnancy,” Sanusi said.
He also noted that many survivors faced further abuses while in military custody, including arbitrary detention and neglect.
Sanusi further highlighted the stigma survivors face upon returning to their communities, where they are labelled as “Boko Haram wives.”
He said, “The girls and young women in the North East suffered horrific abuses in Boko Haram captivity and many survivors arbitrarily detained and subsequently neglected by the Nigerian authorities.”
“The girls that escaped from the insurgents returned to the government control areas, and the crimes that they endured had long lasting consequences that are specific to their ages and gender, including health implications, lack of access to education as well as stigma and rejection by their families and communities.”
AI also accused Boko Haram of war crimes, such as murder, abductions, sexual slavery, and conscripting child soldiers.
“Boko Haram has committed war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law, including murder; attacks on civilians and civilian objects; indiscriminate attacks; disproportionate attacks; torture; cruel treatment; conscription (including through abductions) and use of child soldiers under the age of 15; attacks on buildings dedicated to education; pillage; sexual slavery; rape; and attacks on humanitarian workers,” the report stated.
Sanusi emphasised the need for justice, urging the government to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the atrocities.
“These girls have been sending one clear message…that they want to rebuild their lives,” he said.
“Based on our research, despite some family unification efforts, the Nigerian government has largely failed to address their physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration…This neglect is a serious issue which we are here to tell the government to address. We are calling on the Nigerian government to do the right thing.”
The organisation demanded immediate measures to support survivors, rebuild their lives, and prevent further abuses.
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