Herder Farmer Violence: Amnesty Launches Harvest Of Death

The Nigerians chapter of Amnesty International [AI] will, on Monday, December 17, 2018, launched a special report on herder violence in North Central Nigeria.

The report, tagged Harvest Of Death – Three Years Of Bloody Clashes Between Farmers And Herders In Nigeria, is expected to shed light on the activities of herdsmen terrorising farmers and unsuspecting residents in certain parts of the country.

#Nigeria: Join us on Monday 17 December for the launch of our report on the deadly farmers-herders conflict that affected many states, hundreds of families and displaced thousands: pic.twitter.com/BE0htIff81

— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) December 13, 2018

Speaking on the upcoming report, the former Secretary General of National Human Rights Commission [NHRC], Mr. Chidi Odinkalu wrote on his Twitter handle:

“A new report on herder violence in NC Nigeria in which verified killings over the past 2 yrs between 2016 to 2018 are over 3,641, 57% of them in 2018 alone. It’s been a veritable.”

Odinkalu noted that “the deadly violence in North-Central #Nigeria, around the River Benue Valley has been deteriorating for a while.

“For the past 5 yrs, most credible monitors of conflict have reported it as a war in strict terms of a situation with up to 1,000 field deaths p.a,” he stressed.

See tweet:

This morning in Abuja, @AmnestyNigeria launches a new rpt on herder violence in NC #Nigeria in which verified killings over the past 2 yrs between 2016 to 2018 are over 3,641, 57% of them in 2018 alone. It's been a veritable #HarvestOfDeath.#StopTheKillings pic.twitter.com/bGftrUSCg8

— Chidi Odinkalu (@ChidiOdinkalu) December 17, 2018

According to Amnesty International data, “over 3000 have lost their lives to herder -farmer violence in north central in two years”

Reacting to the activities of Amnesty International in Nigeria ahead of the special report, the Nigerian Army has called for the closure of its offices in Nigeria.

The Army alleged there is credible evidence the organisation is working hard to destabilise the country.

Army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman said in a statement on Monday that the organisation’s attempt to destabilise the nation was noted through the fabrication of fictitious allegations of alleged human rights abuses against the Nigerian security forces.

Usman also alleged the AI had engaged in clandestine sponsorship of dissident groups to protest, as well as unfounded allegations against the leadership of the Nigerian military.

Usman said the Nigerian branch of AI that has hitherto been well respected has deviated from the core values, principles and objectives of the original parent body in the United Kingdom.

He stated: “They have tried over the years using Boko Haram terrorists conflicts, Islamic Movement in Nigeria, some activists and now herders-farmers conflicts.

“The NGO is at the verge of releasing yet another concocted report against the military, ostensibly against the Nigerian Army.

“Consequently, Nigerians should be wary of Amnesty International (Nigeria) because it’s goals are to destabilise Nigeria and to dismember it.

“The Nigerian Army has no option than to call for the closure of Amnesty International offices in Nigeria if such recklessness continues.

Recall that a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Enough is Enough, and BudgIT) have recently called for the probing of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, over the funding of the war against terrorism and other crimes in the country.

The CSOs alleged the army had not made commensurate achievement in the fight in line with the huge fund the federal government allocated to the fight.

The COAS had, however, explained that some of the allocated funds has yet to be cash backed and that it had not reached the army.