Us Damns Nigeria's Human Rights Record

A new report by the United
States has described Nigeria as a
country where corruption,
official impunity, and gross
human rights violations occur at
will.

The report described the human
rights violations to include extra-
judicial killings, rape, torture,
mistreatment of detainees,
destruction of property, violence
against women, vigilante killings,
child labour, forced and bonded
labour, and discrimination based
on sexual orientation.

This assessment of Nigeria is,
according to the 2013 Country
Report on Human Rights. The
report, which is now in its 38th
year, is sanctioned by the U.S.
Congress. It, amongst other
things, helps inform the U.S.
government policy and foreign
assistance.

According to the
report, the terrorist group, Boko
Haram, and the Nigerian
Government are the worst
perpetrators of human rights
abuses in the country.
"The most serious human rights
abuses during the year were
those committed by Boko Haram,
which conducted killings,
bombings, abduction and rape of
women, and other attacks
throughout the country, resulting
in numerous deaths, injuries, and
widespread destruction of
property; those committed by
security services, which
perpetrated extrajudicial killings,
torture, rape, beatings, arbitrary
detention, mistreatment of
detainees, and destruction of
property; and widespread
societal violence, including
ethnic, regional, and religious
violence," the report said.

The report came hard on the
Goodluck Jonathan
administration for
institutionalising impunity with
the state pardon granted to
serial money launderer and
former governor of Bayelsa State,
Dipreye Alamieyeseigha.

Reference: Vanguard