Amnesty International on Monday accused the Nigerian military of illegally detaining girls and young women who escaped Boko Haram captivity because it believes they support the Islamist insurgent group.
In a statement, the army denied the allegations, which the human rights organization said were based on 126 interviews conducted between 2019 and 2024 with former captives.
Thirty-one reported being illegally detained in military barracks for several days to almost four years between 2015 and mid-2023, usually because of their real or perceived association with Boko Haram, Amnesty said in a report.
Boko Haram has led an armed rebellion in northeastern Nigeria that, according to the UN, has left more than 35,000 people dead. Renowned for its brutality, the group has been accused of torture, rape, forced marriage and kidnapping. The most well-known incident was the kidnapping of 300 girls from Chibok in 2014.
Since then, other girls have been kidnapped and many have lived for years with Boko Haram fighters. Some escaped.
“The Nigerian government has failed to meet its human rights obligations by adequately protecting and supporting these girls and young women,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s regional director for Africa. West and Central Africa, in the report.
Defense spokesman Major General Edward Buba said the military respected human rights and humanitarian law.
The Nigerian military “operates within the framework of the international law of armed conflict,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The Nigerian army has launched a counter-offensive against the Islamist group which has also been criticized for its brutal tactics.
Last year, a Reuters investigation revealed that the military had secretly implemented a mass abortion program as part of its war against Boko Haram.
