By Musa Umar Bologi
Abuja
Amnesty International has said that no fewer than 149 people have diedin military detention in Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri, Borno state, thisyear.
In a report released by the human right body yesterday, amnestydescribed the barrack as “a place of death,” calling on PresidentMuhammadu Buhari to close the detention centre and launch anindependent investigation into the recent deaths
But the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said “allegations by the Amnesty are far from the truth.”
In its report, Amnesty claimed 11 of those who died at the barrackswere young children and four babies. It said evidence from formerdetainees, supported by videos and photographs, showed that thedetainees died due to hunger, gunshots wounds, disease and dehydrations due to unwholesome conditions in the overcrowded cells.
The report said: “Children under five years old, including babies,have been held in three overcrowded women’s cells. In the last yearthere has been a tenfold increase in the number of detainees in thesecells, rising from 25 in 2015 to 250 in early 2016.
“Unsanitary conditions mean that disease is rife. AmnestyInternational understands that there were around 20 babies andchildren under five in each of the three cells.”
Amnesty Director of Research and Advocacy for Africa, Netsanet Belay, described as “harrowing and horrifying” the discovery that babies andyoung children have died in appealing condition in military detention.
He said the human rights watch had continued to raise alarm over thehigh rate of detainees in Giwa barracks, “but these findings showthat for both adult and children, it remains a place of death.”
Amnesty claimed at least 1, 200 people, of which are at least 120children, are currently detained at Giwa Barracks, and werearbitrarily arrested without evidence and were not granted a fairtrial.
It said families were separated upon arrest. “Despite steps taken to improve conditions in Giwa barracks in 2014 and 2015, with detainees receiving food three times a day, as well as blankets, sleeping mats and increased access to sanitary facilities and medical assistance, recent mass arrests appear to have erased some of these gains and death rates are on the increase.
“Mass public releases of detainees, including young children and babies, earlier this year, have demonstrated that the detention ofchildren in Giwa Barracks is no secret.”
In March 2014, the human rights accused the military of executing more than 640 detainees following a Boko Haram on the detention centre.
