…Children, Pregnant Women Among Victims
…Starvation, Disease Ravage Overcrowded Facility
The Amnesty International has called for an urgent and independent investigation into the alleged deaths of at least 150 Fulani detainees, many of them children, at a military-supervised facility in Kwara State.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the rights group alleged that about 1,500 displaced Fulani pastoralists were held for months at the National Youth Service Corps Orientation Camp in Yikpata, Edu Local Government Area, under what it described as “deplorable and life-threatening conditions.”
According to Amnesty, findings from its investigation revealed severe overcrowding, poor sanitation, acute food shortages and lack of adequate medical care, conditions it said triggered widespread malnutrition, disease outbreaks and multiple deaths within the camp.
“The Nigerian authorities must conduct a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the reported deaths,” the organisation said.
The Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said the affected community faced what he termed “double vulnerability.”
“Members of the Fulani community face persecution on two fronts—from armed groups and the military. Instead of receiving protection, they are being denied their fundamental rights, including liberty, movement, education and healthcare,” he stated.
Amnesty further disclosed that during visits by its researchers between April 5 and 11, detainees—including children and pregnant women—showed visible signs of severe starvation and neglect.
It noted that several children were “too weak to walk,” displaying extreme malnutrition with visible ribs and protruding bones.
The organisation also raised concern over the condition of at least 100 pregnant women allegedly detained at the facility without access to proper maternal healthcare, warning of life-threatening complications.
A female detainee, whose testimony was cited in the report, described the situation as a deepening humanitarian crisis.
“After we fled our villages because of attacks by gunmen, we were called by the government to move to a safe place. From Offa, the Nigerian Army conveyed us to Yikpata NYSC camp, where our suffering began,” she said.
She alleged that worsening food shortages led to deaths among children and pregnant women.
“My twin daughters, Hauwa’u and Hajja, died there. At some point, we contributed ₦60,000 to buy white shrouds because deaths were increasing. We buried three corpses in a single grave,” she added.
Another survivor, a 43-year-old man who claimed he escaped from the facility, alleged that more than 150 people had died during the detention.
“I escaped because of the difficult living conditions. A total of 154 people have died from hunger and disease since we were brought there. On the day I escaped, six children died,” he said.
Amnesty International also alleged ethnic profiling and arbitrary detention of Fulani pastoralists, stressing that detaining individuals based on identity violates both Nigerian and international human rights laws.
“Detaining people based on their identity constitutes discriminatory profiling and exposes them to violence and other human rights violations,” Sanusi added.
The organisation urged the Federal Government to immediately end the alleged detention of the pastoralists and ensure accountability for all reported deaths.
It also called for justice for victims and their families, including the prosecution of those found culpable and the provision of remedies for survivors.
As of press time, there was no official response from the Nigerian military or other relevant government agencies regarding the allegations.
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