Nigeria’s military has killed at least 150 peaceful protesters to repress the renewed demands for a breakaway state of Biafra in the south east of the country according to the Amnesty International. The Nigerian military has however denied “killing of defenseless agitators”
According to the Premium Times, Amnesty report of the period between August 2015 and August 2016 which analysed 87 videos, 122 photographs and 146 eye witnesses’ testimonies revealed that Nigeria soldiers fired live ammunition to disperse protesters, who were mostly members of the separatist group, Indigenous People of the Biafra (IPOB).
The human rights organizations at least 60 IPOB protesters were shot dead within two days leading to the Biafra Remembrance Day of May 30. The report also revealed the disturbing use of widespread torture and ill-treatment of those arrested by the military.
A military statement said soldiers “exercised maximum restraint” in response to violent protesters who in one instance killed five police officers. It accused secessionists of “a reign of hate, terror and ethno-religious controversies … (threatening) national security.” according to News 24
Nigeria’s 1967-1970 civil war to create Biafra for the Igbo people killed about one million people.
