In response to the Nigerian government’s receipt of our application submitted to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice, seeking justice for cases of enforced disappearances in Northeast Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, expressed the following:
“By permitting thousands of enforced disappearances in the Northeast and failing to genuinely investigate and prosecute those responsible, the Nigerian government has violated international and regional human rights obligations, leaving victims without justice. The ECOWAS Court is one of the remaining avenues for accountability and justice for the victims and their families who deserve to know the fate of their loved ones. The ECOWAS court can play a crucial role in addressing these human rights violations by highlighting the failure of Nigerian authorities to investigate and prosecute properly.”
“We welcome the Nigerian government’s acknowledgment of our application, which signifies that the case is now pending, and victims will have their day in court. However, this is just the initial step. We call on Nigerian authorities to closely cooperate with the Court, conduct independent and impartial investigations into all cases of enforced disappearances in Northeast Nigeria, and, where admissible evidence is found, prosecute those suspected of criminal responsibility in connection with these disappearances.”
In its 2015 report titled “Stars on their shoulders. Blood on their hands,” Amnesty International concluded that Nigerian security forces committed war crimes and serious human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, during their military operations in Northeast Nigeria against the armed group Boko Haram. The whereabouts of thousands of people detained by Nigerian forces in the Northeast remain unknown. To date, Nigerian authorities have not conducted genuine, independent, and effective investigations and prosecutions for these crimes.
Last month, Amnesty International, in collaboration with the Sterling Centre for Law and Development and 23 victims and survivors, filed a case at the ECOWAS Court to seek long-awaited justice, truth, and reparations for those who have disappeared and their families.
