Amnesty International calls for end to violence and abductions

Amnesty International has called  for an end to violence and abduction of civilians in Nigeria.
A statement by  Susanna Flood, Director of Media. Amnesty International said   “deadly car bombing in a suburb of the Nigerian capital Abuja displays a callous disregard for human life and highlights the urgency of bringing an end to the campaign of violence against civilians being waged by Islamist armed groups in Nigeria.”

It said: “No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest attack, which killed 19 people and injured more than 60 in the Abuja suburb of Nyanya. It comes less than three weeks after the armed group Boko Haram killed more than 70 people in a similar attack on the same area.
“Boko Haram and other armed groups must renounce their unlawful and counterproductive campaign of violence against civilians. The Nigerian authorities, for their part, must do more to protect civilians and bring the perpetrators of all such attacks to justice – but it is crucial that they do so without carrying out further human rights violations.

“More than 1,500 people have been killed since the beginning of 2014 amid fighting between Nigerian security forces and Islamist armed groups, which are based mainly in the north-east of the country but occasionally launch attacks in the capital and elsewhere. Last night’s attack comes just days before the World Economic Forum on Africa opens in Abuja on 7 May.”

The statement further stated that  “the latest attack also comes as many Nigerians are demanding the release of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted in an overnight raid by an armed group in Chibok, north-eastern Nigeria, on 15 April.
“Amnesty International stands in solidarity with Nigerians calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the schoolgirls from Chibok and an end to the armed groups’ abductions of civilians.”