I would urge the U.S. to withhold its security assistance to Nigeria unit he demonstrates a commitment to inclusive government and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assemble and freedom of speech.
Human rights groups like Amnesty International (AI) have widely documented torture, inhumane treatment, and extra-judicial killings of defenseless Nigerians since Pres. took office. In the last six months, Nigeria’s military has unlawfully killed at least 350 people and allowed more than 168 people to die in military detention.
The Secretary to the Government of Kaduna State even admitted to burying 347 of those killed in a mass grave. Instead of swift reforms, Buhari chose to reinstate Maj. Gen. Ahmadu Mohammed, who AI revealed was in charge of the Nigerian military unit that executed more than 640 unarmed, former detainees.
Also, in separate incidents concerning IPOB, the Nigerian Army has killed at least 36 people since December 2015 in an attempt to silence opposition and quell attempts by the group to gather publicly.
Of Pres. Buhari’s 122 appointees, 77 are from the north. Distrust is already high in Nigeria and favouring Northerners for key appointments has only antagonized the issue. These appointments are also primarily Muslim in the north and Christian in the south, adding a religious aspect to long-held regional biases.
Of additional concern is his selective anti-corruption drive. Politicizing his anti-corruption efforts has only reinforced hostility among southerners. The State Department should urge Pres. Buhari to form a government that represents the diversity of its citizens and allows dissenting voices to be heard."
ThisDay
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