The international human rights group, Amnesty International, has alleged that Nigerian security forces have the blood of as many as 8,000 Nigerian civilians on their hands, urging the international community to bring pressure to bear on President Muhammadu Buhari to launch an immediate and impartial investigation into what the group described as “war crimes.” In a damning report released today, Wednesday June 3, 2015, investigators from the London-based rights group released evidence that after Jonathan effectively became president in 2009, “more than 8,000 people died at the hands of the Nigerian government as a result of being starved, suffocated, tortured to death or executed while in government custody.” The report outlines the roles and criminal responsibilities of those along the chain of command – up to the Chief of Defense Staff and Chief of Army Staff – and names nine senior Nigerian military figures who should be investigated for potential individual or command responsibility for the war crimes of murder, torture and enforced disappearance detailed in the report.

The report titled: “Stars on their shoulders. Blood on their hands: War crimes committed by the Nigerian military”, reveals that under Jonathan’s watch, “more than 7,000 young men and boys — some as young as nine years old — died in military detention, and more than 1,200 people were unlawfully killed since March 2011.” Amnesty International provided compelling evidence of the need for an investigation into the individual and command responsibilities of soldiers, and mid-level and senior-level military commanders. The officers include: Major General John A.H. Ewansiha; Major General Obida T Ethnan; Major General Ahmadu Mohammed; Brigadier General Austin O. Edokpayi and Brigadier General Rufus O. Bamigboye.

Amnesty International is further calling for Nigeria to ensure prompt, independent and effective investigations of the following high-level military commanders for their potential command responsibility for crimes committed by their subordinates. They would be responsible if they knew or if they should have known about the commission of the war crimes and failed to take adequate action to prevent them or to ensure the alleged perpetrators are brought to justice. These are: General Azubuike Ihejirika – Chief of Army Staff, Sept 2010 – Jan 2014; Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim – Chief of Defense Staff, Oct 2012 – Jan 2014; Air Chief Marshal Badeh – Chief of Defense Staff, Jan 2014 – present and General Ken Minimah – Chief of Army Staff, Jan 2014 – present.

Following interviews with more than 400 survivors, eyewitnesses and senior members of Nigeria security forces, Amnesty has documented a range of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian military in the course of the armed conflict with Boko Haram. “This sickening evidence exposes how thousands of young men and boys have been arbitrarily arrested and deliberately killed or left to die in detention in the most horrific conditions. It provides strong grounds for investigations into the possible criminal responsibility of members of the military, including those at the highest levels,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. “Whilst an urgent and impartial investigation of these war crimes is vital, this report is not just about the criminal responsibility of individuals. It is also about the responsibility of Nigeria’s leadership to act decisively to end the pervasive culture of impunity within the armed forces.”

According to a statement by Adotei Akwei, Managing Director of Government Relations for Amnesty International USA; “the Nigerian military has arrested at least 20,000 young men and boys since 2009. Detainees are held incommunicado in extremely overcrowded, unventilated cells without sanitary facilities and with little food or water. Many are subjected to torture, and thousands have died from ill-treatment and dire detention conditions.”

Amnesty International noted in the report that: “in Nigeria, thousands of young men and boys are being arbitrarily arrested and deliberately killed or left to die in detention — in the most horrific conditions.

After years of research and analysis of evidence, we found that these thousands of people were starved, suffocated, tortured to death or executed while in government custody.”

“On June 19, 2013, 47 dead detainees were deposited in the compound of Sector Alpha detention facility, known as “Guantanamo” in Damaturu, Yobe state. They had been locked in an overcrowded cell for 24 hours. Detainees who survived were asked to bring out the rest of the corpses and place them on the ground in the compound. They were later buried by the state ministry of environment officials,” noted the report.

Recalling that President Buhari, at his inaugural promised to rebuild a professional military and restore respect for human rights, Amnesty is urging the international community to “hold Buhari to his promises and help him act decisively to end the pervasive culture of impunity within Nigeria’s armed forces and outlaw torture. Nigeria’s military has blood on its hands. Claims of unlawful killings, torture and enforced disappearance must be investigated immediately. The people of Nigeria deserve no less,” the report concluded.

Amnesty is calling on the United States Congress and the Obama administration to lead the global campaign to hold Nigerian leaders accountable for the “war crimes and crimes against humanity” committed by Nigerian security forces since 2011. “President Buhari must lead the country in stopping the use of torture and breaking the culture of impunity by holding those responsible accountable.”

In a take action letter campaign addressed to US House Speaker, John Boehner, Amnesty International urged: “the Obama administration to work with the new government of Nigeria to end the use of torture and break the culture of impunity. Since 2011, the Nigerian security forces have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in their armed conflict with Boko Haram. Over 8,000 people were deliberately starved, suffocated, executed and tortured to death with no accountability whatsoever.

On May 29, Nigeria made history by inaugurating as president the first leader of a political opposition party, raising hopes that a new chapter in the country’s history is starting. President Buhari has made several public promises about restoring the rule of law and rebuilding a professional Nigerian military in addition to defeating Boko Haram. These goals will not be achieved unless the culture of impunity among the security forces is broken and Nigeria outlaws torture. Senior Nigerian military commanders must be investigated for sanctioning or failing to prevent the deaths of thousands of people who were in their custody or caught in security force operations.

As a key ally of the Nigerian government and given Nigeria’s importance regionally and globally, I urge you to hold President Buhari to his commitments and to prioritize U.S. support for efforts to end impunity, re-establish accountability and end the use of torture.

Specifically, I urge you to call upon President Buhari to uphold his commitment to lead a government founded on values that promote and protect fundamental human rights by:- Initiating independent and impartial investigations into allegations of crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Nigerian military and members of Boko Haram, with a view to bringing suspected perpetrators to justice in fair trials without recourse to the death penalty.

Introducing safeguards against human rights violations, including allowing all detainees access to their families, lawyers and doctors; allowing independent human rights monitors unfettered access to all people in detention; ensuring that a centralized register of all people arrested and detained is accessible to their relatives and lawyers; and charging all detainees with a recognizable criminal offense or releasing them.”