Human rights groups' analysis of systematic killings in Nigeria

         
                   By Dotun Ibiwoye

The trio of Intersociety Nigeria, International Justice and Human Rights Program and Civil Liberties and Rule of Law Program,  all human rights organisation, have disclosed that  Nigeria’s drift to faith genocide through
“killing, maiming, burning and destruction of churches and other sacred
places of worship-and forceful seizure and occupation of ancestral,
worshipping, farming and dwelling lands of the indigenous Christians and
other indigenous religionists in Northern Nigeria” has worsened with
loss in six months of 2018 of no fewer than 1,750 Christian and other non Muslim lives to terror Fulani Ethnic Militia-a.k.a. Fulani Herdsmen.

According to the Human rights groups, no Fewer than 8,800 Christians have also been targeted and killed in Nigeria in the past three years or June 2015 to June 2018.

The Christians killed in Nigeria since then got killed by:

(a) security forces-1,014 (out of 2,265 killed including 1,130 members of Shiite Muslim sect),

 (b) Fulani Jihadists-5,275,

(c) Boko Haram insurgents-over 2,450 (out of no fewer than 4000 killed) and

(d) Zamfara Bandist-80 (out of no fewer than 160 killed in Kaduna State along Birnin Gwari Federal Road and its surroundings in six months of this year targeted at travelers and other road users).

According to Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair, Intersociety Nigeria, Nigeria further loses no fewer than 3000 uninvestigated and untried detained citizens in police custodies every year-to police racial profiling.

He
also noted that many, if not most of the victims are members of the
Nigerian Christian faith drawn from Southeast, South-south, Southwest
and old Middle Belt Regions of Nigeria.

He
affirmed that no fewer than 9000 of such killings may most likely have
taken place in Nigeria in the past three years in police detention
facilities particularly those manned by Police Special Anti Robbery
Squad( SARS)  and State Criminal Investigative Department(CIDs).

“
From our general evaluation, too, no fewer than 2,360 innocent
Nigerians were killed by Fulani Jihadists-1,750,  Boko Haram-250 and
Zamfara Bandits-360 in first six months of 2018 (Jan-June 2018)-and no
fewer than 13,221 defenseless Nigerians also got killed by the trio as
well as the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force & ors in the past
three years”, he said

“If
added to 13, 221 deaths cumulatively arising from non state actor
Ethno-Jihadist violence and state excessive use of violence against
defenseless citizens in the last three years.

“Nigeria
must have lost a total of 22, 221 mostly Christian lives in the past
three years or between June 2015 and June 2018 under the present central
Government of Muhammadu Buhari.  A retired army major general, was inaugurated as Nigeria’s sixth civilian President on 29^th May 2015 for first term of four years which elapses on 29^th May 2019.

Corroborating the aforementioned report,  Head, Civil Liberties and  Rule of Law Program ,Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq., asserted that  not
less than 100 churches and other sacred places of worship belonging to
Christians and other non Muslims have also been burnt to ashes or
destroyed in the past six months of 2018 (Jan-June).  

Igboeli  noted
that the number of churches and other sacred places of worship
destroyed or burnt to ashes in the past three years are not less than
1000 and they did not include over 13,000 burnt or destroyed by Boko
Haram insurgents between 2009 and 2014 as contained in the 2015 special
report of the Open Doors Int’l Report, USA.

She
stated that statistical breakdown of 1,750 Christian Deaths: From their
general evaluation of the killings by terror Fulani Militia (a.k.a.
Fulani Herdsmen), Benue State recorded the highest number of rural
Christian and other non Muslim deaths in first six months of 2018 with
no fewer than 600, followed by Plateau State with 400; Taraba 250;
Nasarawa 200; Southern Kaduna 100, Adamawa 100 and Kogi State 100;
totaling no fewer than 1,750 Christian and other members of non Muslim
population.

“The total death toll in Plateau State following the 23^rd and 24^th June
2018 coordinated attacks and killings in eleven villages may most
likely have hit 300, from its present 250, out of which 218 bodies have
been recovered and buried in mass graves.” She said

“The
activists on the ground said dozens of people are still missing after
the head count was carried out. Those still missing are presumed to have
died. This is more so when they are not among the injured and
survivors.

“The
218 recovered and buried dead bodies, according to Middle Belt
activists and authorities of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
included 80 recovered from Nhyer, 40 from Exland (G/Akwati), 34 from
Ruku and 5 from Kuzen, all under Gashish District; 34 from Gana Ropp,
one from Razat, one from Takwot and 2 from Rakwot all under Ropp
District. Eight dead bodies were recovered from Shonong under Bachi
District; and one from Kwi under Riyom District.

“
Other recovered and buried dead bodies were 2 from Heipang and four
others killed by soldiers in Anguldi and one from K-Vwang areas;
totaling 218 as at Wednesday, 27^th June 2018.

Statistical
Breakdown of 13,221 Deaths including 8,800 Christians:  Between June
2015 and June 2018, a period of three years, a total of not less than
13, 221 defenseless lives were lost to: (a) terror Fulani Ethnic Militia
or Jihadist group-Christian 5,275 lives, (b) Boko Haram-4000 lives, (c)
Nigerian Army/Nigerian Air Force & ors-2, 265 lives and Zamfara
Bandits-1, 500 lives; totaling 13,221; involving 8, 800 Christians and
4,420 Muslims.

She also stressed that  the
Nigerian security forces particularly Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air
Force had in the past three years ordered and supervised the killing via
aerial bombardment, starvation to death and shooting to death of: (a)
450 pro Biafra Christians and non Muslim others in Southeast and
South-south (August 2015-September 2017), (b) 236 Christian IDPs in
Kale-Balge in Borno State (Jan 2017), (c) 50 rural Christians Numan,
Adamawa State (December 2017), (d) 240 civilian detainees at Giwa
Military Barracks in Borno State (2016), (e) 1,130 members of Shiite
Muslim sect in Kaduna State (December 2015) and (f) 159 children in
Northeast Nigeria (2017); totaling 2,265 civilian deaths.

“Terror
Fulani Ethnic Militia or Jihadists (a.k.a. Fulani Herdsmen) had in the
past three years killed: (a) not less than 525 rural Christians and
other non Muslims between June 2015 and January 2016; (b) not less than
1300 Christians between February and December 2016 including Agatu,
Nimbo and Southern Kaduna massacres involving no fewer than 1,200
Christian and other non Muslim deaths; (c) not less than 1,700 Christian
deaths in 2017; and (d) no fewer than 1,750 Christians in first six
months of 2018; totaling  5,275 Christian deaths since June 2015.   

“Terror
or Jihadist Boko Haram group, which solely targeted Christians and
their sacred places of worship since 2009 had between May 2015 and May
2016 recorded the highest number of mostly Christian casualties since
the inception of Buhari Administration by killing 2,569 persons. This
was contained in the Punch Newspaper special investigation report of 28,
May 2016.

“The
reduction was said to have been caused by divisions within its ranks
and alleged withdrawal of supports by some northern radical political
actors; forcing remnants of the violent sect to pitch tent with radical
Islamic Movement in West Africa.

On her part, International  Justice and Human Rights Program’s, Head, Chinaza Ndidiamaka Bernard, Esq.,  affirmed
that the Jihadist terror group had its killing and maiming records
declined between June and December 2016 when it killed about 300 mainly
Christians.

The
violent sect also between January and December 2017 killed no fewer
than 861 people including 411 children killed via bomb blasts and 450
others killed in over 75 attacks, she stated.

“These
were contained in AI and UN reports of 2017 and 2018 respectively. The
Jihadist sect has so far killed no fewer than 250 persons in first six
months of 2018. On its part, the Zamfara Muslim Bandits also accounted
for no fewer than 1,500 civilian deaths mostly in Zamfara State since
June 2015.

“The
terror Bandits have killed no fewer than 360 in first six months of
2018 including killing of not less than 160 mostly travelers and other
road users in Kaduna State; among them were not less than 80 Christian
travelers and other road users.

The human rights activists noted that back-up statistics from various research findings showed that  critical
evaluation of various recent reports within and beyond Nigeria
concerning the country’s untamed killing spree in the past three years
as well as re-evaluation of our previous research or investigative
findings.

“For
instance, by the recent account of the United States Council on Foreign
Relations, “no fewer than 19,980 killings took place under the present
Buhari Government in the past three years” and “Fulani Herdsmen Militia
killed 1,061 people (Christians) in 106 attacks in Nigeria between
January and April 2018”-a period of past four months.

“The
US Council on Foreign Relations’ report did not specify whether the
figure of 19,980 deaths included victims of police brutality or
custodial killings or victims of violent crimes (i.e. armed robbery,
rape and related domestic violence or abduction) or automobile accidents
in Nigeria.

Also
by the account of the Christian Solidarity Worldwide, UK, “Fulani
Herdsmen Militias have killed more men, women and children in 2015, 2016
and 2017 than Boko Haram”. The report says “rare retaliatory attacks
against Fulani Herdsmen militias resulted only in 61 deaths in seven
attacks including two in Southern Nigeria”.

Bernard said that by the account of the Government of Benue State, dated 30^th June
2018, “over 500 rural Christian lives were lost to Fulani Herdsmen
Militia in Benue State alone in the first six months of 2018”. The State
Government had earlier on 22^nd May 2018 during the burial of
two slain Catholic Priests and seventeen other Catholic faithful killed
by Fulani Jihadists in late April disclosed that it lost 492 rural
Christians between January and 3^rd week of May 2018”.

Further,
by the account of Amnesty International,, given at end of last month,
“we verified 1,813 deaths across 17 States in Nigeria involving Fulani
Herdsmen-Farmers clashes”, banditry and Boko Haram”.  By recent report
of the United Nations Secretary General: “Children & Armed
Conflict”, “out of 881 children killed or maimed in Nigeria in 2017, 570
were killed, out of which 411 were killed by Boko Haram and 159 others
killed by Nigerian Security Forces: Boko Haram killed or maimed 570
children while Nigerian Security Forces killed or maimed 311 others”.

She
further stated that 8The death of 570 children in Nigeria’s Northeast
did not include 411 Boko Haram insurgency related deaths in 75 attacks
which Amnesty Int’l reported in early December 2017. 

Adding
that no fewer than 40 others were killed by the Jihadist sect between
early and end of December 2017. The authorities of This Day Newspaper
have on 30^th April released an investigative report
chronicling the killing perpetrated mostly by Fulani Jihadists of 901
defenseless citizens between January and April 2018.

 The
statistics included 50 innocent citizens shot dead by dare devil armed
robbers in Offa, Kwara State, North-central Nigeria. About 850 of the
victims are members of Nigerian Christian faith.

Patterns & Trends of Fulani & Boko Haram Jihadist Violent Attacks

The
rights group stated that There are killing of more men, women and
children including newborn, infants and pre-primary school children, all
of Christian faith and non Muslim others by Fulani Jihadists
particularly in Middle Belt Region of Nigeria; than those killed by Boko
Haram Islamic insurgents-between June 2016 and June 2018.

They
noted that the Fulani Jihadists solely target Christians and their
sacred places of worship or churches in their nearly 15yrs Jihadist
violence, which escalated with more sophistication and government
complicity since June 2015.

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