Olusesan Oba
Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who transitioned from military rule to democracy, is facing severe criticism from human rights organization Amnesty International.
On the occasion of his 81st birthday, Amnesty International took to social media to shed light on what they termed “Gross Human Rights Violations Under Buhari Administration.”
The organization outlined a series of alleged atrocities committed during Buhari’s regime between 2015 and 2023. The accusations include the extrajudicial killing of 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters, the massacre of 350 Shiite Muslims in Zaria, and the violent crackdown on #EndSARS protesters.
According to the posts shared on social media, these incidents represent only a fraction of the gross human rights violations perpetrated under Buhari’s leadership.
The post highlighted a tragic event in Zaria, where the Nigerian military allegedly engaged in a mass slaughter of over 350 men, women, and children between December 12 and 14, 2015. Additionally, it claimed that security forces carried out extrajudicial executions, resulting in the deaths of at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters from August 2015 to August 2016.
The failure to bring perpetrators to justice, according to Amnesty International, contributed to a bloody escalation in the conflict between farmers and herders, resulting in at least 3,641 deaths over three years. The organization pointed out that over 57% of these recorded deaths occurred in 2018.
Amnesty International also recalled the distressing violations against female survivors of Boko Haram’s insurgency, stating that thousands of women and girls were further abused by Nigerian security forces and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) under the pretext of rescuing them. The women and girls reportedly endured rape, sometimes in exchange for food.
Journalists were not spared from the alleged human rights abuses, with at least 19 journalists and media practitioners reportedly facing attacks, arrests, torture, harassment, and threats between January and September 2019. The organization claimed that at least three journalists had to go into hiding during this period.
The spokesperson for the former president, Garba Shehu, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations raised by Amnesty International.
In contrast to these allegations, President Bola Tinubu praised Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a man of “absolute and undiluted integrity” who devoted his life to the service of the nation. Tinubu asserted that leaders like Buhari emerge through divine orchestration and emphasized Buhari’s unwavering commitment to the country.
