One thousand days after the chilling abduction of 276 school girls in Chibok, the Nigerian government must redouble its efforts to ensure the release of the girls, and all other victims of mass abduction, said Amnesty International in a press release Sunday.
War crimes
Amnesty International has documented at least 41 other cases of mass abductions by Boko Haram since 2014.
Many of the attacks committed by the group, including deliberate killing of civilians, rape, destruction of homes, bombing of places of worship, markets and other civilian structures, constitute war crimes and those responsible should be brought to justice in fair trials without recourse to the death penalty.
Background
Since 2009, Boko Haram has been carrying out a violent campaign against civilians in north eastern Nigeria through acts of almost daily killings, bombings, abductions and looting. Towns and villages have been pillaged. Schools, churches, mosques and other public buildings have been attacked and destroyed.
Boko Haram is brutally mistreating civilians trapped in areas under its control and has disrupted the provision of health, education and other public services.
Since April 2015, thousands of women, men and children who were abducted by Boko Haram have escaped or been rescued.
