13,241 Nigerians killed by security operatives in 10 years —CDD

A new report by the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) has claimed various security agencies in Nigeria killed 13,241 Nigerian citizens in the past 10 years.

The international human rights organisation, which stated this in the report issued by its Nigerian Director, Idayat Hassan on Monday, said extra-judicial killings executed by state actors were the primary causes of death in the country.

The CDD report titled ‘Democracy watch reports’, presented to journalists at a press conference in Abuja, also noted that with the nation’s shrinking civic space, “democracy in Nigeria has continued to experience major setbacks in the last 22 years.”

While giving an overview of the report, Hassan expressed regret that unlawful killings of Nigerians had become rife in the country since 1999, insisting that many of the killings were perpetrated by security forces.

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“These unlawful killings go largely unpunished, thanks in part to Nigeria’s Force Order 237, which allows officers to use lethal force in ways that contravene international law, and because of government corruption and a prevailing culture of impunity.

“Successive governments in Nigeria have used unlawful killings to quell secessionist upheavals and terrorist activities, a practice that was exacerbated during President Muhammadu’s Buhari’s tenure, such as the unlawful killing of 350 Islamic Movement of Nigeria members by the Nigerian Army in 2015.

“It is pertinent to state that extra-judicial killings conducted by state actors has become the primary cause of death in the country.

“In fact, state actors have cumulatively killed 13,241 people since 2011.”

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