Silent Genocide In Nigeria: 101,500 Defenseless Citizens Killed Outside The Law Since 1999 (17yrs) With 47,500 In Five Years And 9,700 Under Buhari Administration

(Intersociety/SBCHROs, Onitsha Nigeria, Sunday, 11th December

2016)-This month marks the 68th Anniversary of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), as set aside by the United

Nations. Originally, 10th of December of every year is set aside

globally as a UDHR Day. The UDHR is a bill of rights for all mankind,

proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on 10th of December 1948 and

designed for current world population of over seven billion people and

their institutions and 193-member States of the UN as well as some 45

local and international trusteeship and occupied territories around

the world.
This year’s UDHR event taking place here is unique in that it is the

first time the SBCHROs under the coordination of International Society

for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, is marking it with a press

briefing for the purpose of presenting to all Nigerians and members of

the international community the state of unlawful or criminal killings

in Nigeria since the country returned to civil rule in June 1999; with

the bulk of research and information concerning this coming from

Intersociety. We are deeply grateful to Intersociety for allowing us

to tap and share with it its rich facts and information resource.

As a matter of fact, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, Nigeria’s

human rights records have soured and deteriorated steadily over the

years, earning their worse status under the present Buhari

Administration. Below is the apt summary of the Nigeria’s human rights

problems, according to the US Department of State Reports on the State

of Human Rights in Nigeria including its reports of 2009 and 2015:

“Deplorable human rights in Nigeria included the abridgement of

citizens’ right to change their government; politically motivated and

extra-judicial killings by security forces, including summary

executions, vigilante killings, abductions by militant groups,

torture, rape and other cruel, in-human or degrading treatment of

prisoners, detainees and criminal suspects; hash and life-threatening

detention center conditions; arbitrary arrest and prolonged pre-trial

detention, denial of fair public trial, executive influence on

judiciary and judicial corruption; infringement of privacy rights;

restrictions on freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion, and

movement; official corruption and impunity; domestic violence and

discrimination against women; the killing of women suspected of

witchcraft; female genital mutilation; child abuse and child sexual

exploitation; societal violence; ethnic regional and religious

discrimination, trafficking in persons for the purpose of prostitution

and forced labour; discrimination against persons with disabilities;

discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; and

child labour”.
In the consideration of the patterns and trends of these rights

abuses, it is found that their perpetration comes from State and non

State actors. While rights abuses such as political assassination and

election killings have recorded a decrease since 2011, State actor

heinous rights abuses like State murders or killings have gone spiral

from their lower ebb between June 2007 and June 2015.

The high political terror, militarization and militarism policies of

the Buhari Administration have also led to emergence of at least 18

armed opposition groups and upsurge in the inflow of illicit Small

Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) in non State actor hands; rising to all

time high of 5million in 2016 on average of a SALW per 40 citizens

(Intersociety 2016).
101, 500 Killed Outside The Law In 17yrs: Killing outside the law is

the act of taking a citizen’s life using processes and procedures not

recognized by law (i.e. 1999 Constitution, regional and international

rights conventions and laws) and it includes citizens taking into

detention custodies alive but killed while being held, road killings

associated with extortion and minor infractions, killing of unarmed

and defenceless citizens engaging in church vigil and streets protest

and processions; election day killings, military invasion and massacre

of unarmed and defenceless villagers; raiding and killing by security

forces of unarmed and defenceless citizens in their homes, churches,

mosques and markets; any form of killing of civilians or non

combatants by armed opposition groups in war and peace times; killings

arising from inter-communal and religious violence particularly as

they concern uninvolved or innocent and defenceless citizens; and

culpable or inexcusable homicides.
Earlier Statistics: On 11th of December 2011, our coordinating

partner-Intersociety found in its report (Nigeria In A State Of War:

How 54,000 Citizens Were Killed Outside The Law Since 1999); drawn

from its extensive investigation and other open and closed sources

that not less than 54,000 Nigerian citizens were killed outside the

law between June 1999 and December 2011. The breakdown showed that

vigilante killings accounted for not less than 11,500 deaths between

1998 and 2002; including not less than 5,000 in Anambra State and 3500

in Abia State via OTA and Bakassi Boys and 1500 in Lagos via O’odua

People’s Vigilante Group as well as 3500 similar deaths recorded

between 2002 and 2011 in the hands of thousands of butchery vigilante

groups particularly in the Southeast Zone.
The Odi and Zakibiam military pogroms of 1999 and 2001 accounted for

not less than 3500; Ethno-Religious and Sectarian butcheries 16,000;

Boko Haram 3000; election killings 2000; Inter-Communal killings 300;

political assassination 220; and police custodial killings 17,000;

totalling 54,000-57,000 deaths in 12 years or since 1999. In the

report then, domestic homicides and killings by Fulani Terrorist group

were not captured. In Intersociety’s recent updates, domestic and

street homicides by common violent citizens are not included.

The findings of December 2011 under reference heavily relied on

unofficial or independent sources with few corroborative facts from

official sources. Independent sources used included reports of local

and international rights investigative and research organizations like

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, NOPRIN, OSIWA and the US

Department of State on Human Rights; as well as reports of leading

local and international media organizations.
It is on incontestable record that official crime statistics in

Nigeria are not only unreliable but also scanty. They are also

bedevilled with dark figures of crime syndrome (i.e. a large

percentage of crimes so committed are either not recorded or

suppressed by official crimes recording institutions).For full details

of the report by Intersociety, see the link below:
http://saharareporters.com/2011/12/11/nigeria-state-war-how-over-54000-nigerians-died-outside-law-1999.

The Alarming Increase In Criminal Deaths (101,500): 1999-2016: The

updates done by Intersociety clearly show that deaths arising from

killing outside the law have gone spiral and surged, hitting over

101,500 between June 1999 and December 2016. From over 54,000 deaths

in December 2011, it further shows that over 47,500 unarmed citizens

were killed in five years, between December 2011 and December 2016;

out of which over 9,700 criminal deaths took place in seventeen months

of the Buhari Administration or since June 2015.
The total criminal deaths hit 101,500 in seventeen years and 47,500 in

five years of 2011-2016 following addition of about 8000 criminal

deaths or civilian detainees’ custodial deaths which Amnesty

International (AI) in its report of 2015 linked to the Nigerian Army

in the course of its counter insurgency operations in the northeast

Nigeria. The AI had in 2015 found that the Nigerian military had

executed at least 1,200 men and boys between 2012 and 2014 and was

responsible for the deaths in custody of another 7,000.

Statistical Highlights:
1. Over 101,500 criminal deaths in seventeen years or since 1999, on

average of 5,970 for each of the seventeen past years

2. Over 54,000 criminal deaths as at December 2011 on average of 4500

for each of those past twelve years as at December 2011

3. Over 47,500 additional criminal deaths in five years or since

January 2012, on average of 9,500 for each of the five years

4. Boko Haram accounted for not less than 17,000 criminal deaths in

five years or since December 2011 on average of 3400 for each of the

five years.
5. Custodial deaths or deaths in detention custodies mostly

perpetrated by Police SARS, SCIDs and Army (during counter insurgency

operations) accounted for not less than 21,500 in five years or since

2011 on average of 4300 for each of the five years and 350 monthly.

6. Over 6000 killed by Fulani Terrorists in five years or since 2011

on average of 1200 for each of the five years.
7. A variant of Fulani Terrorists accounted for at least 600 deaths in

Zamfara State as at 2015.
8. Boko Haram killed not less than 2500 in seventeen months of the

Buhari Administration on average of 147 for each of the seventeen

months.
9. Fulani Terrorists killed not less than 1700 under seventeen months

of the Buhari Administration on average of 100 for each of the

seventeen months.
10. Over 4000 custodial deaths (Police SARS and SCIDs-3500; Army and

others-500) occurred under the Buhari Administration on average of 235

for each of the seventeen months.
11. Over 1500 State murders mostly perpetrated by the Nigerian Army

occurred under seventeen months of the Buhari Administration including

over 1120 Shiite deaths and 250 Pro Biafra activists’ deaths on

average of 88 for each of the seventeen months.
12. Over 700 cases of attempted murder representing IMN and IPOB

members shot and terminally injured courtesy of the Nigerian Army.

13. Over 9700 criminal deaths recorded in seventeen months of the

Buhari Administration on average of 570 for each of the seventeen

months
14. Criminal deaths arising from inter-communal violence, election

killings and dark figures of crime accounted for not less than 1000

since January 2012; bringing the grand total to 101,500 criminal

deaths in the past seventeen years of 1999 to 2016 or 47,500 in the

past five years of 2011 to 2016.
Exceptions: The criminal deaths above did not include those arising

from road or aviation or marine or rail accidents; domestic homicides;

street violent crimes’ generated homicides; recession and starvation

generated deaths (i.e. deaths in IDPs’ camps) and battle-fields

related deaths (i.e. fatal clashes between security forces and Boko

Haram or Niger Delta Avengers). Though they are unnatural deaths but

Intersociety’s findings are strictly based on inexcusable criminal

deaths or killings.
Besides, domestic and street violent crimes’ generated deaths are

supposed to be featured periodically in the Nigeria Police annual or

bi-annual crime statistics reports (if any); likewise road accident

deaths reports by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

It is also important to add that Nigeria Police Force is locally and

internationally notorious for pre-trial or custodial killings of

detained citizens. It is so bad that even citizens who refuse or delay

in parting with police personnel on the road are randomly shot and

sent to their early graves. Citizens arrested and detained for minor

misdemeanours and simple offences are also routinely tortured and

sometimes killed in custody following their refusal or inability to

pay huge “bail fees”.
For those arrested non-violently or who are not armed and violent

during their arrest for violent crimes and detention in custody, they

have automatically signed “their death warrant”. Torture and other

degrading treatments are also a routine. Police custodial killings

usually take place at night. All regular police stations in Nigeria

apply physical or psychological torture on their detainees. The

departments of the Nigeria Police Force deadly responsible for

custodial killings are the Special Anti Robbery Squads (SARS);

followed by the State Criminal Investigation Departments (SCIDs) and

FCID.
There exist 37 State and FCT Police SARS departments across Nigeria,

in addition to SARS departments in all the 12 Police Zonal Commands

and the Force Headquarters at Abuja. The same number of SCIDs also

exists. In processing their detained suspects, they hardly use mental

and ICT investigative policing expertise or handling styles.

Pre-arrest and detention data mining is near zero and investigative

corruption including demand and forceful collection of huge “bail

fees” are also commonplace. Where detained suspects cannot afford to

“buy back their lives” or get themselves exonerated through huge “bail

fees”; they get executed usually at late night.

Modern intelligence policing is near dead in the Nigeria Police Force.

As result, average of 200 citizens are killed monthly in custody

mostly by Police SARS; followed by SCIDs; on average of six citizens

per State in every month. Army, DSS and other security forces are not

exempted particularly during counter-insurgency operations. They also

kill those arrested and taken into their custodies.

Authorities: The Intersociety’s report of 2011(Nigeria In A State Of

War: How 54,000 Citizens Were Killed Outside The Law Since 1999) and

its various publications of 2015 and 2016 are our lead-guide. Findings

made by Intersociety in its recent updates are majorly derived from

the Global Terrorism Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace

2013, 2014 and 2015 Editions; the Premium Times of 10th of August

2016; the Core TV News of 22nd November 2016; and the Lists of Global

Terrorist Incidents of the Wikipedia 2015.
Others are the Criminal Force by OSIWA and NOPRIN 2010, Amnesty

International Reports of 2009 (Rest in Pieces) and 2015, Human Rights

Watch Reports of 2005 and 2007 (i.e. Killing At Will), Legal Defence &

Aid Project (LEDAP) Report of 2004, the US Department of State Reports

on Human Rights of 2009 and 2015, newest Amnesty International Report:

October 2016; Nigeria: Bullets Were Raining Everywhere; the Religion

of Peace Organization Report of 2016, the (Christian) Open Doors

Report of 2015, the Ripples Nigeria’s publication of 2016, the ECWA

Church Press Conference of 2016, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria

(IMN)’s statements of 2015 and 2016, the Indigenous People of Biafra

(IPOB) World Wide information of 2015 and 2016, the CNN, BBC, AFP and

AP news reports of 2014, 2015 and 2016, etc. We are deeply grateful

to these lead-research, news and nonviolent socio-religious bodies.

Statistical Instances: In its 2014 Global Terrorism Index (GTI)

Report, the Institute for Economics and Peace found that terrorist

attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani Janjaweed resulted in 7530 deaths;

thereby making 2014 the deadliest year for Nigeria in terror attacks.

In the same 2014, the GTI also found that the Fulani Janjaweed killed

1229 unarmed citizens in Nigeria who were mostly rural Christians. The

Terror Group also killed 621 defenceless citizens in first six months

of 2015. Over 2000 deaths were recorded in 2013 courtesies of Boko

Haram and Fulani Janjaweed. In 2015, a total of 4940 deaths were

recorded in Nigeria in the hands of Boko Haram and Fulani Janjaweed

(GTI 2016).
The Premium Times of 10th August 2016 further reported that 1269

defenceless citizens were killed by the Fulani Janjaweed in Benue

State alone between 2013 and March 2016. In six months of 2016 alone,

a total of 140 Christians were killed in Southern Kaduna by Fulani

Terrorists according to the leadership of ECWA Church and in the same

2016, a total of 350 rural Christian famers were killed in Agatu in

Benue State and Nimbo in Enugu State. Hundreds of others were also

killed by the terror nomad group in various parts of the country

including Plateau and Nasarawa States. Just on Friday, 9th of December

2016, Boko Haram struck in Adamawa State, killing at least 56

defenceless citizens.
To Christian Open Doors, 13,000 Churches, 1500 Christian Schools and

11,500 Christian lives were lost to Boko Haram terrorists in the north

since 2000. Updates made by other research groups clearly showed that

the number of defenceless Christians killed in Nigeria since then is

over 13,000. The Religion of Peace Organization in its list of Islamic

terror attacks on Christians also documented loss of 3,572 Christian

lives between 2014 and a part of 2016 with 2,528 documented in 2014

alone. According to the Core TV news of 22nd November 2016, a total of

155 defenceless citizens were killed in less than a month in late 2016

and 50 others abducted in Maru, Shinkafi, Maradum and Zurmi Local

Government Areas of Zamfara State by a variant Fulani Terrorists

called “Bandits”. Another 200 defenceless citizens were also butchered

in a 2015 shooting spree according to the GTI Report of 2015, released

in the last quarter of 2016.
The emergence of the Buhari Administration in late May 2015 also led

to spiral increase in State murders and terrorism. The Buhari

Administration’s high political terror, militarization and militarism

policies also led to multiplication of the country’s number of armed

opposition groups; from about two before June 2015 to at least 18-20

in late 2016 with attendant increase in the inflow of illicit Small

Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) to about 5million on average of about a

SALW for every forty Nigerians.
To Buhari Administration’s disastrous record, the Shiite Muslim

Movement (IMN) lost over 1120 of its defenceless and unarmed members

including 1000 lost on 12th and 14th December 2015 massacre, over 30

lost on 7th of October 2016 and over 80 lost on 14th of November 2016.

In the November 14, 2016 massacre, the IMN recovered only eight bodies

and later discovered 34 mass graves in a certain location in Kano

State, possibly containing two or more bodies in each of the 34

graves. Over 400 of its members are also victims of attempted murder.

The IPOB and its supporters lost over 250 of its members and

supporters on 30th of August and December 2 and 17 2015 as well as

18th January, 29th January, 9th February and 29th and 30th May 2016.

Over 300 of its members are also victims of attempted murder. The 180

other slain members of the IMN and the IPOB technically represent dark

figures of crime or unrecorded killings.
Regime Irresponsibility And Failures: According to the Institute for

Economics and Peace’s Global Terrorism Index 2016, “99.5% of terrorism

occurs in countries in conflict or with high political terror” and

that “over 73,000 terror attacks across the world had killed 170,000

between 2000 and 2015”. Circumstances leading to the criminal death of

over 101,500 Nigerians in the past seventeen years of 1999 to 2016 or

over 47,500 in the past five years of 2011 to 2016 are solely caused

by political class in furtherance of their thirst for political

primordialism and intensification of ethno-religious divisions and

cleansing. Resort to militancy and blood to get to Nigeria’s

Presidency is now a commonplace. The Niger Delta politicians used it

through Niger Delta militancy to ascend to the Presidency of Nigeria

and the northern political hardliners used same through sponsorship of

Boko Haram to assume the new mantle of Nigerian Presidency in late May

2015. The decline in Boko Haram terror attacks is largely and

empirically attributed to this fact, and not claims of “military

successes”.
It saddens our heart that the likes of Governor Nasiru el-Rufai of

Kaduna State has graduated fully into an Islamic Fundamentalist

Governor. He has abandoned the conventional art of governance to play

the ignoble role of radical Islamic cleric. The Governor should be

impeached over his complicity in the killing of Shiite Muslims and

Southern Kaduna Christians.
The criminal killing of 101,500 defenceless Nigerians happened on

account of regime irresponsibility and failures; to the extent that

guns and bullets are everywhere, yet insecurity pervades the Nigerian

landscape. The age-long structural and physical violence targeted at

the Igbo Race has spiralled and got intensified under Buhari

Administration.
Till date, most if not all the State and non State actor perpetrators

of the referenced heinous killings are on the prowl. If a whopping

number of 47,500 defenceless citizens could be killed in just five

years or from 2011 to 2016 and nothing is concretely done about it

till date; then Nigeria is at crossroads and doomed as well. Every

nook and cranny of Nigeria’s exit and entry point particularly roads,

borders, airports and marine routes are flooded with armed security

personnel, yet the percentage of real security for Nigerian citizens

is at its lowest ebb.
Take the case of Fulani Janjaweed, for instance, its umbrella

registered body, the Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of

Nigeria is still retained and recognized by the Federal Government

under its Corporate Affairs Commission as a registered body, despite

being a violent organization and armed opposition group. Till date,

its leaders and board members have not been arrested and charged for

manslaughter for killing of thousands of innocent and defenceless

citizens; in accordance with the country’s extant criminal laws.

The killer-elements within the armed opposition group are still on

rampage and on the prowl, defying State sanctions including

prosecution for murder or culpable homicide. In all these, the Buhari

Administration has steadily and dangerously kept mute, aiding and

abetting the butcheries; yet 1500 unarmed and defenceless citizens

including members and supporters of IPOB and IMN who never used or

advocated violence have been rounded up and massacred by soldiers,

police and navy with reckless abandon.
Three Igbo Distinguished Personalities of The Year 2016: 1. Nnamdi

Kanu: In addition to renewal of the prestigious Prisoner-of-Conscience

Award, bestowed on Mr. Nnamdi Kanu who is leader of Radio Biafra

London (RBL) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) World Wide,

earlier this year; we have again resolved to name him as one of the

Three Igbo Distinguished Personalities of the Year 2016. These are in

recognition of his nonviolent and peaceful campaign for the

emancipation of the Igbo Race using nonviolent and peaceful means.

Against all odds, he has spent 14 months in detention without trial

and his group IPOB has lost over 250 of its members and supporters to

the militarist Administration of Retired Major General Muhammadu

Buhari. Over 150 of his members are presently languishing in various

prisons and other detention centres including DSS dungeons across the

country on trumped up criminal accusations. More than 300 of his

members and supporters were also deadly shot and battered. The most

striking aspect of Kanu’s advocacy style that gladdens our heart is

his pacifist approach, in spite of State provocations and use of

deadly violence in policing his group’s nonviolent activities.

2. Peter Gregory Obi: He is the former Governor of Anambra State and

true embodiment of Peopling Governance, Input and Output Legitimacies.

Mr. Peter Obi is the first of its kind in recent Nigerian political

and public governance epoch. If his type is raised gubernatorially in

eighteen States of Nigeria’s 36 States; then the entire country will

automatically experience social, economic and political transformation

of rapid and scientific proportions.
What Mr. Peter Obi was to Anambra State when he held sway was what

then Governor Bill Clinton was to the State of Arkansas in the United

States in 1980s; by raising his State to high greatness. Former

Governor Obi was chosen as the Second Igbo Distinguished Personality

of the Year 2016, as a pace setter and formidable standard of

performance measurement for incumbent and upcoming elected public

office holders particularly the governors or Federal elected public

office holders. Apart from tremendous social and infrastructural

transformation of Anambra State when he held sway; he was and still is

the only governor that left his State with at least N86Billion worth

of cash and investments and in surplus digits. He was the only

governor who refused to mortgage his State into serial and slavish

indebtedness. While a rich State like Lagos State incurred over

N500Billion debts till date, Anambra State under Obi reduced its

previous local and foreign debt overhang to N11Billion and refused to

borrow.
Ikechukwu Ekweremadu: Barr Ike Ekweremadu is chosen as the Third Igbo

Distinguished Personality of the Year 2016 on account of his bold and

courageous disposition against all odds since June 2015, in his

capacity as the Deputy Senate President of the Federal Republic of

Nigeria and highest Igbo Federal Lawmaker. He towered and withstood

the executive persecution and leprous treatment simply because he came

from a federal opposition party and insisted that the Igbo Race is too

important in Nigerian political landscape to be left out in the

sharing of the principal leadership positions of the 8th National

Assembly of Nigeria. He has also made an imprint in the defence of

Igbo interests; in spite of threats and blackmails from the Executive

Arm since June 2015. Senator Ekweremadu's position as it affects the

collective interests of the Igbo Race particularly against the killing

of innocent and defenceless Igbo citizens by security forces and the

Fulani Janjaweed is very encouraging and endearing.

With this recognition and the Three Igbo Distinguished Personalities,

distinguishing themselves in their three respective fields of social,

governance and legislative advocacies and performances; there is most

likely a light at the end of the tunnel for the Igbo Race. This

recognition is not award bestowment but rather an appreciation of the

fact that the triplet Moses may most likely have landed again in Igbo

Land!
Thank You.
Compiled For:
International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law and

Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations

By: Emeka Umeagbalasi (a graduate of Criminology & Security Studies

and M.Sc. graduate of Peace & Conflict Studies)

Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Email: [email protected]
Signed:
1. Comrade Aloysius Attah (+2348035090548)
For: Civil Liberties Organization, Southeast Zone
2. Comrade Peter Onyegiri (+2347036892777)
For: Centre for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy
3. Comrade Samuel Njoku (+2348039444628)
For: Human Rights Organization of Nigeria
4. Engineer Rufus Duru (+2348037513519)
For: Global Rights & Development International
5. Comrade Chike Umeh ( +2348064869601)
For: Society Advocacy Watch Project
6. Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq. (+2348034186332)
For: Anambra Human Rights Forum
7. Comrade Alex Olisa(+2348034090410)
For: Southeast Good Governance Forum
8. Jerry Chukwuokoro, PhD (+2348035372962)
For: International Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights Initiative

9. Mr. Tochukwu Ezeoke (+447748612933)
For: Igbo Ekunie Initiative (Pan Igbo Rights Advocacy Group)

10. Comrade Vincent Ezekwume (+2348171793911)
For: Civil Liberties Organization, Anambra State Branch