Amnesty International sues FG over ‘disappearances’ in North-East

Amnesty International has filed an application against the Federal Government at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice for the “enforced disappearances” allegedly carried out by the military in the North-East.

Amnesty International said the government violated its international and regional human rights obligations and failed the victims by allowing the military to carry out the alleged act.

Responding to the federal government’s receipt of the application to demand justice, the Amnesty International Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, in a statement on Friday, November 3, 2023, said: “By allowing the military to carry out thousands of enforced disappearances in the country’s Northeast and subsequently failing to genuinely and effectively investigate and prosecute those responsible, the Nigerian government has violated its international and regional human rights obligations and has failed victims.

“The ECOWAS Court represents one of the few remaining avenues for accountability and justice for victims of enforced disappearances in Northeast Nigeria and their families, who deserve to know the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.

“The ECOWAS court can help bring about justice by clearly calling out as human rights violations the failure of the Nigerian authorities to properly investigate and prosecute.

“We welcome the receipt of our application by the Nigerian government, symbolizing that this is now a pending case, and the victims will get their day in court. But this is just the first step.

“We call on the Nigerian authorities to cooperate closely with the Court in its proceedings, to conduct an independent, impartial, and effective investigation into all cases of enforced disappearances in Northeast Nigeria, and where admissible evidence exists, to prosecute all those suspected of criminal responsibility in relation to the disappearances.”

The Star