Thousands of Nigerians missing – Amnesty International

Amnesty International (AI) has stated that thousands of Nigerians have disappeared in recent time over the activities of Boko Haram, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
It said the people were either arrested by security agencies or non-state actors like vigilante groups and their whereabouts had remained unknown.

The international human right groups in a statement signed by its Country Director, Osai Ojigho, to commemorate the “International Day of the Disappeared” quoted the Sheik El-Zakzaky-led IMN as claiming that the whereabouts of at least 600 of its members were not known since the clashes with the military in December, 2015, in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The statement stressed that more than 350 people were believed to have been unlawfully killed by the military between December 12 and 14, 2015.
Ojigho said the event was organised to raise the voices of families and relatives of victims of enforced disappearances as a result of state’s action or inaction, particularly in Nigeria.
“In recent time, those who have disappeared go into hundreds of Nigerians. We can’t put an exact figure to it, but if we are to take the IMN figures of 600, and if we are to look at what happened during the curbing of pro-Biafra protesters in the South East last year, and we put a number of about 200 people that have been missing, and the numbers could be actually higher.

“And then, we look at those who, as a result of the conflict in the North-East, particularly in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno, who have been picked up by security agents, especially where there had been an attack by Boko Haram, and about who no records have been found to date, then you can put another 300 that have not been verified. So, it is hundreds we can say, but we know that the numbers can definitely be in thousands,” Ojigho declared.