Nigerian human rights breaches being ignored by West, claims watchdog

A HUMAN rights organisation yesterday accused Nigeria of killing and torturing activists, stifling free speech and threatening and bribing journalists in Africa’s most populous nation.

New York-based Human Rights Watch issued its strongly worded 40-page report, citing alleged killings and beatings by state security forces as Nigeria prepares to host a prestigious summit of 53 leaders of Commonwealth countries, starting on Friday.

"Even though military rule has ended, Nigerians still cannot express themselves freely without fear of grave consequences," said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Africa division.

Nigeria was a perennial military state before rejoining the international fold after President Olusegun Obasanjo won 1999 civilian elections.

Human Rights Watch accused Western powers of ignoring ongoing rights abuses in Nigeria in order to avoid offending a nation that has massive oil interests and that is seen as confronting growing Islamic fundamentalism in Africa. Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation with 126 million people half of them Muslim and the world's seventh-largest oil exporter.

World leaders should not give Nigeria "a free pass" on human rights, Mr Takirambudde said.

Julius Ihonvbere, a special adviser to President Obasanjo, accused human rights groups of "exaggerating" abuses in Nigeria.

"The human rights community in this country has a mindset of opposition at all costs," he said. "We have a democracy that should be supported and encouraged, not kicked down."

The rights group documented more than 50 cases since June 2002 in which security forces allegedly physically assaulted journalists, confiscating or destroying their equipment.

Nigerian politicians routinely offer bribes to journalists in return for positive coverage, the report noted.

Twice, in 1999 and 2001, Nigerian troops massacred hundreds of villagers at a time. Years later, "no one has been brought to justice" for the killings, Human Rights Watch said. In the latest case, President Obasanjo publicly defended the soldiers as acting in self-defence. In July, police shot and killed at least 12 people in during massive protests in three cities against rising fuel prices. Many other protesters and journalists were beaten with rifle butts and otherwise injured.