Zaria Massacre: Amnesty Intl and the Nigerian Military

This year marks it exactly five years the dreadful event of December, 2015 occurred in Zaria, Kaduna, which is now termed ”Zaria Massacre’‘ where scores of people died and buried.

Amnesty International has been having issues with the Nigerian Army, one several occasion the Nigerian Army has accused Amnesty International of sabotaging its war against the Boko Haram

5 years Remembrance: All you need to know about Zaria Massacre

According to bbc.com Nigeria’s army has called for the closure of Amnesty International’s operations in the country.

In a report on Monday, the human rights group said at least 3,641 people had died in clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria since 2016.

The army has accused Amnesty of trying to destabilise the country with “fictitious” claims.

A spokesperson for Amnesty told the BBC that the group “would not be discouraged” by the military’s remarks.

The exchange of words comes days after Nigeria’s military briefly suspended the activities of the UN children’s agency Unicef in the north-east of the country.

On Facebook, army spokesperson General Sani Kukasheka Usman hit back at Amnesty, accusing it of spreading “fictitious allegations” to “destabilise and dismember Nigeria”.

General Usman also called for the closure of Amnesty operations in the Nigeria “if such recklessness continues”.

In response, Isa Sanusi, a spokesperson for Amnesty in Nigeria, told the BBC: “They should do their job of protecting Nigerians rather than threatening human rights organisations.

“We will not be discouraged,” added Mr Sanusi. “Where we see a violation we will not keep quiet.”