Amnesty International is calling on the Nigerian government to act fast. The human rights group wants an urgent investigation into the deaths of at least 150 Fulani people, mostly children, in Kwara State.
The victims were allegedly held under terrible conditions at a military-controlled facility. This camp is the National Youth Service Corps Orientation Camp located in Yikpata.
In a statement released on April 30, Amnesty revealed that about 1,500 Fulani pastoralists have been kept there for months. These individuals had initially fled violent attacks by armed groups in Asa, Edu, Ifelodun, and Patigi local government areas.
However, instead of finding safety, the military transported them to the Yikpata camp, where they have remained in prolonged detention.
What Amnesty researchers found during a visit between April 5 and 11 is deeply troubling. They reported that detainees are facing severe overcrowding and dirty environments. There is barely any food, and medical care is practically non-existent.
These harsh conditions have led to widespread malnutrition and disease. Researchers saw shocking images of children with visible ribs and protruding shoulder blades. Many were simply too weak to walk.
The situation is especially dangerous for expectant mothers. Amnesty warned that at least 100 pregnant women at the facility are facing life-threatening complications because there is no maternal healthcare available.
Isa Sanusi, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, did not mince words. He said the Fulani community is facing persecution from both armed groups and the military.
He noted that instead of protecting these vulnerable people, the authorities are denying them basic rights. They are stripped of their freedom, movement, education, and healthcare. He stressed that detaining people simply based on their ethnic identity is discriminatory and unlawful.
The personal stories from the camp are heartbreaking. One woman detained there explained how they were tricked into coming. After fleeing gunmen, they gathered at Offa, hoping for a safe haven. The military then moved them to Yikpata, where their nightmare began.
Food was desperately scarce. Sometimes, they only received beans in the evening, and even that was never guaranteed. Starvation quickly claimed the lives of many children and pregnant women.
The woman tragically lost her twin daughters, Hauwa'u and Hajja, in the camp. She recalled how death became so frequent that detainees had to pool 60,000 naira just to buy white shrouds for burials. They were even forced to bury three corpses in a single grave.
A 43-year-old man who managed to escape the facility confirmed the grim death toll. He told Amnesty that 154 people have died from hunger and disease since the detentions began. On the very day he escaped, six children lost their lives.
Amnesty is now demanding immediate action from the Nigerian authorities. The organization insists that the arbitrary detention of these pastoralists must end immediately.
The group stressed that the existence of this camp puts people outside the protection of the law. This, they say, is a clear violation of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution and the country's international human rights obligations.
Amnesty is insisting that those suspected of being responsible for these deaths must be brought to justice. The victims and their grieving families deserve full access to justice and proper remedies.
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