Nigerian Military Massacres Civilians in Maiduguri, Children Among Slain

Fresh off Complaints of Extrajudicial Killings, Military Is at It Again

Just one day after the Nigerian military condemned Amnesty International for a report criticizing them for torture and extrajudicial killings, the troops are accused of yet another massacre in the key city of Maiduguri.

Locals say the military attacked a neighborhood, then another, gunning down children and young men at random. One of the imams in the area confirmed 11 dead on his street alone, including four of his own sons.

All told four neighborhoods in the town were hit, and residents say the troops ordered men in their teens and early 20’s out into the streets for execution, shooting them on the spot. At least 40 people were slain in the strikes, all shot execution style.

Maiduguri is the hometown of the Boko Haram militant movement, and the military has regularly committed massacre, burning neighborhoods and condemned civilians in the city for “harboring terrorists.” The military is denying today’s massacre, claiming they haven’t heard anything about dozens of executed people being left in the streets.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.