Amnesty International hails Senate’s move to probe military

Amnesty International, AI, yesterday, described the decision by the Senate to probe allegations raised in its report as a welcome development and a sign of hope for victims seeking justice.


In a statement by its Director in Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, AI stated that: “Rather than taking action to address the issues raised in this report, like investigating countless allegations of rape and other war crimes, the Nigerian military has fallen back on its usual hostile tactics of denials and threats.

“The Nigerian military is increasingly resorting to threats, intimidation and smears to discredit Amnesty International’s work documenting the human rights violations it has committed.”

On May 24, the organisation released a report, They Betrayed Us, which documented alleged sexual violence against starving women and girls detained in satellite camps under the control of Nigerian soldiers and militia.

The military, however, denied the allegations.