Amnesty Int’l Demands Probe Over Alleged Death Of 150 Fulani Detainees In Kwara Camp
…Says Detainees mostly Mostly Children
Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to urgently investigate the deaths of at least 150 Fulani people, mostly children, allegedly detained in a military-controlled camp in Kwara State under dire conditions.
In a press release issued on April 30, the organisation said the victims were among about 1,500 Fulani pastoralists held for months at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Yikpata after fleeing attacks by armed groups.
“The Nigerian authorities must conduct a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the reported deaths of least 150 members of the Fulani community,” Amnesty said.
The group said its investigation revealed that those detained were subjected to overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, severe food shortages, and lack of adequate medical care, leading to widespread malnutrition and disease.
“Members of the Fulani community face persecution on two fronts – from armed groups and the military. Instead of receiving protection, they are being denied their rights to personal liberty, livelihood, movement, education and healthcare,” said Isa Sanusi, Executive Director, Amnesty International Nigeria.
“We met people who described losing parents, siblings, spouses, children and grandchildren at the camp. Such tragedies only add to their suffering,” he added.
Amnesty International researchers who visited the camp between April 5 and 11 reported seeing alarming conditions, including images of children with “prominent and visible ribs, protruding shoulder blades and too weak to walk.”
The organisation also warned that at least 100 pregnant women at the facility face life-threatening complications due to lack of maternal care.
According to Amnesty International, many of the detainees had fled violence across Asa, Edu, Ifelodun and Patigi local government areas but were later transported by the military to the Yikpata camp, where they have remained in prolonged detention.
A woman detained at the camp described the worsening humanitarian situation, saying, “After we fled our villages because of attacks by gunmen, we were called by the government to move to a safe place. So, we gathered at Offa. From there, the Nigerian army conveyed us in their vehicles to Yikpata NYSC camp, where our suffering began.
“At the camp, we did not have enough food, sometimes only beans in the evening, and even that was not guaranteed. Starvation claimed the lives of many children and pregnant women.
“My twin daughters, Hauwa’u and Hajja, died there. I remember that at the peak of the deaths, we contributed 60,000 naira (US$44) to buy white shrouds for burial because of the increasing number of deaths. We buried three corpses in a single grave.”
Another survivor, a 43-year-old man who escaped from the facility, told Amnesty, “I escaped from the camp because of the difficult living conditions. A total of 154 people have died from hunger and disease since we were brought and detained there. On the day I escaped, six children died.”
Amnesty also raised concerns about alleged ethnic profiling and arbitrary detention of Fulani individuals.
“Detaining people based on their identity constitutes discriminatory profiling, and exposes people to violence and other human rights violations,” Sanusi said.
The organisation further urged authorities to end the detention of the affected communities and uphold their legal obligations.
“The Nigerian authorities must end the ongoing arbitrary detention of Fulani pastoralists in Kwara state. It is unlawful for a security operation to target individuals, whole families and whole villages based on their ethnicity,” it said.
“The existence of the camp puts detainees outside the protection of the law in flagrant violation of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
Amnesty stressed that those responsible for the deaths must be held accountable while victims and their families are granted justice.
“Nigerian authorities must promptly and effectively investigate the reported deaths and bring to justice those suspected to be responsible. Authorities must ensure access to justice and effective remedies for the victims and their families,” it said.
Sahara Reporters