By Moshood Adebayo
Amnesty International yesterday disclosed that no fewer than 7, 000 Boko Haram members were tortured to death in military detention camps across the country.
This is in addition to about 1, 200 members allegedly rounded up and unlawfully killed by the military.
The group also accused President Muhammadu Buhari of failing to put an end to what it described as culture of impunity in the military.
The human rights group, in a statement issued by its Secretary-General, Salil Shetty, said it had on good authority that one Major-General Ahmadu Mohammed, allegedly retired about two years ago for his alleged role in the mass murder in the North-East had been reinstated in the military.
AI urged the Federal Government to sanction the retired army general for failing to prevent the deaths of hundreds of people.
“Major General Mohammed must be investigated for participating in sanctioning or failing to prevent the deaths of hundreds of people.”
Lamenting President Buhari’s inability to probe the involvements of Mohammed and some senior officers, AI said it had carried out detailed investigations on the incident.
Amnesty said its report “was based on years of research and analyses of evidence–including leaked military reports and correspondence, as well as interventions with more than 400 victims, eyewitnesses and senior members of the Nigerian security forces.”
The international group insisted on General Mohammed’s investigation.
“Major-General Ahmadu was in charge of 7 Division and was in command of operations when the military executed more than 640 detainees following Boko Haram attack on the detention centre in Giwa barracks on March 14, 2014. He was retired in 2014 for related reasons, but reinstated this month.”
According to the group, young men and boys rounded up by the military were either shot, starved, suffocated or tortured to death and no one has yet been held to account.
“It is unthinkable that Major General Muhammed could resume command of troops before an investigation has even begun.”
The group said those responsible for the crimes detailed in its report must be held to account, no matter their rank or position. Only then can there be justice for the dead and their relatives.
“Seven months after the publication of these horrific discoveries and the President’s pledge that they will be looked into, we continue to call for urgent independent investigations to begin.”