VIDEO Of The Nigerian Military's Hitler-Style War Crimes

Amnesty International accuses the Nigerian military, including senior military commanders, of committing horrible atrocities in northeast of the country. Its report unveils facts, figures and identities of those responsible for war crimes including setting up death camps and gas chambers.

Secret and classified military communiqués, obtained by Amnesty International, reveal war crimes committed by the Nigerian army. It shows senior commanders knew about that but did nothing to prevent it from happening.

Anna Neistat, Amnesty International representative, told that “what we have discovered is truly shocking – an army that is supposed to be protecting it citizens, has been committing appalling atrocities on a massive scale against its own people.”

Since 2011 more than 7000 boys and young men have died in detention from starvation, suffocation and disease while in military custody. Thousands more have been horrifically abused, tortured or executed.

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The Nigerian army code of conduct prohibits acts of murder, summary execution, torture and attacks on civilians. But the field reports sent between officers in Borno state and army headquarters in Abuja reveals what was actually happening on the ground.

According to the documents, “extraordinary measures” were introduced to fish out Boko Haram fighters and sympathisers under operational orders issued by Brigadier General  Austin O. Edokpayi, who commanded to “destroy and annihilate” Boko Haram. The tactic used was highly illegal. In villages hundreds men were rounded up and made to undress. In many cases an anonymous informant singled out who among them he claimed was a member of Boko Haram. In most instances no evidence was ever produced against hose accused. They were taken away, detained or murdered. “The soldiers didn’t try to confirm whether a person is Boko Haram or not,” told one of those detainees who managed to survive. The officer commanding who oversaw imprisonments was Major General John A.H. Ewansiha.

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Since 2009, at least 15,000 people were randomly arrested and detained.

“They were incarcerated in the most degrading and inhuman conditions – chronic overcrowding, hardly any sanitation, little food and no medical care and there was merciless physical assault and worse”, says Anna Neistat.

The main detention centre was Giwa military barracks in Maiduguri, commanded by Brigadier General Rufus O. Bamigboye. It had five cells above ground and one below, with hundreds of detainees packed into small cells. One more concentration camp was situated in Yobe state and nicknamed Guantanamo.  Another was at Potiskum and was known as the Rest House. Over 500 corpses were buried in and around that camp.

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Torture was common place. Starvation ant thirst were among the biggest causes of death in detention. And Amnesty International report shows it was intended. And there was another possible cause of death. The poorly ventilated cells were regularly fumigated with powerful dangerous chemicals. Major General John A.H. Ewansiha was aware of this constant fumigation, however this practise continued. On 14 of March 2014 Boko Haram attacked Giwa barracks. The Nigerian army responded killing more than 640 escapees. The man in charge of the barracks then was Major General Ahmadu Mohammed. He was removed from this post following a mutiny by his own men. The other senior commanders to be investigated for their roles in war crimes include Major General Obida T Ethnan, General Azubuike Ihejirika, former Chief of Army Staff, Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and General Kenneth Minimah.

Amnesty International report in figures:

Alleged Nigerian Military war crimes

At least 20,000 – people, mostly men and boys, arrested by the Nigerian military since 2009.

More than 7,000 – people who died of starvation, suffocation or torture while held in military detention since March 2011.

More than 1,400 – corpses delivered from Giwa barracks to one mortuary in Maiduguri in June 2013.

At least 1,200 - men and boys extrajudicially executed by the Nigerian military in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa since February 2012.

Up to 1,700 – men and boys between 14 and 30 years old that are registered as members of the civilian militia, the Civilian Joint Task Force. Thousands more are believed to be unregistered members.

More than 800 – number of official documents reviewed by Amnesty International. More than 700 letters and memos between military headquarters and the field, daily reports from military units based in the northeast, and dozens of documents.

57 – letters Amnesty International sent to the Federal and State authorities since 2013, sharing research findings, raising concerns about ongoing violations and requesting information and specific action, such as investigations.

13 – responses received from the Nigerian government.

READ REPORT IN FULL:

Amnesty International issues a report on war crimes in Nigeria

Source: Legit.ng