OHCHR Press briefing note 4 August 2009

The following, attributable to the spokesperson of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), was delivered at the press briefing on 4 August 2009, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

“We are deeply concerned by reports of violence and of the plight of civilians in the affected states in northern Nigeria, following the reported attacks by the 'Boko Haram' sect. In particular, the High Commissioner is concerned over reports of the killing of civilians during the fighting, wide-scale arrests and detentions, displacements and people being forced to flee their homes to take shelter in barracks for safety.

The High Commissioner recognizes that the Government faced a major crisis, with fighting taking place right in the heart of the state capitals. She hopes, however, that the Government makes every effort to achieve security with full adherence to legality and respect for human rights. She stresses that every effort should be made to avoid unlawful killings, arbitrary arrest and detention while calling upon the Government of Nigeria to fully investigate all incidents and hold those responsible to account.

The High Commissioner extends her deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and to the wounded.”


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