Amnesty International says that Nigeria’s army killed hundreds of men, women and children from a minority Shi’ite Muslim sect last December, but the military dismissed the rights group’s report as hasty, one-sided and biased.
The report relates to events in the northern city of Zaria, where the army has said the Islamic Movement in Nigeria tried to assassinate its chief of staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, when members of the sect blocked his convoy.
The army said that the following day it raided several buildings connected to the sect.
Amnesty says that more than 350 people are believed to have been unlawfully killed by the military between December 12 and 14.
Its report contains satellite images that it says appear to show the location of a mass grave.
Amnesty said it carried out research in February 2016 during which 92 people were interviewed, including alleged victims and their relatives, eyewitnesses, lawyers and medical staff.
“It is clear that the military not only used unlawful and excessive force against men, women and children, unlawfully killing hundreds, but then made considerable efforts to try to cover-up these crimes,” said Netsanet Belay, an Amnesty director.
“Our research, based on witness testimonies and analysis of satellite images, has located one possible mass grave,” he said.
