Nigerian army killed 150 pro-Biafra activists - Amnesty International

A chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions and violence has allegedly resulted in deaths of at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters in the Southeast of Nigeria. According to a report published by the Amnesty International on Thursday, Nigerian security forces led by the army have carried out the executions.

Nigeria: At least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra activists killed in chilling crackdown – Amnesty International https://t.co/Ku4pRhbKlv

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“The military should not be involved in managing or responding to peaceful demonstrations or gathering. The Nigerian government should initiate prompt and impartial investigations into allegations of killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and detentions, incommunicado detention and excessive use of force in the southeast of Nigeria,“says Makmid Kamara, the Director of Amnesty International in Nigeria.

But both the military and police have dismissed the allegations.

According to the 62-page report, the military fired live ammunition, with little or no warning, to disperse members of the Indigenous People of Biafra group known as IPOB between August 2015 and August 2016.

The findings of this report involved an analysis of 87 videos and 122 photographs showing IPOB gatherings and members of security forces in the process of committing violations and victims of these violations. 193 interviews were conducted.

On 30 September 2016, Amnesty International shared the key findings of this report with the Federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Interior, Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the state Security Services. Responses were received from the Attorney General and Inspector General of Police but neither answered the questions raised in the report.

IPOB emerged in 2012 and campaigns for an Independent Biafran state. Almost fifty years ago, an attempt to establish Biafra state led to a civil war from 1967 to 1970 that killed an estimated 1 million people.