February 01, 2016 – Amnesty International (AI) has described recent reinstatement of a senior Nigerian military general implicated in the mass murder of hundreds of detainees as underlining the monumental failure of the government to stamp out impunity for war crimes at the highest leveL.
Last June, Amnesty International named Major General Ahmadu Mohammed, along with eight other senior commanders as culpable in the mass murder and called for an investigation into their possible criminal responsibility for war crimes including the deaths of more than 8,000 of detainees.
Major General Ahmadu, was in charge of 7 Division and was in command of operations when the military executed more than 640 detainees following a Boko Haram attack on the detention centre in Giwa barracks on 14 March 2014.
He was retired in 2014 for unrelated reasons, but reinstated this month.
According to AI, an in depth report exposed a range of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the military in the course of operations against Boko Haram.
It found that, since March 2011, more than 7,000 were starved, suffocated, and tortured to death in military detention camps. A further 1,200 were rounded up and unlawfully killed, AI said.
“Major General Mohammed must be investigated for participating in, sanctioning or failing to prevent the deaths of hundreds of people,” said Secretary General of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty,
She said young men and boys, rounded up by the military, were either shot, starved, suffocated or tortured to death and no one has yet been held to account.
“It is unthinkable that Major General Muhammed could resume command of troops before an investigation has even begun. Young men and boys, rounded up by the military, were either shot, starved, suffocated or tortured to death and no one has yet been held to account. It is unthinkable that Major General Muhammed could resume command of troops before an investigation has even begun.”
The report,” Stars on their shoulders, blood on their hands: War crimes committed by the Nigerian military”, was based on years of research and analysis of evidence – including leaked military reports and correspondence, as well as interviews with more than 400 victims, eyewitnesses and senior members of the Nigerian security forces.
“It exposed a range of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the military in the course of operations against Boko Haram. It found that, since March 2011, more than 7,000 were starved, suffocated, and tortured to death in military detention camps. A further 1,200 were rounded up and unlawfully killed.
It named nine senior Nigerian military figures along the chain of command who should be investigated for potential command and individual responsibility for the crimes committed.
