Hundreds dying in military detention - Amnesty Int'l

LAGOS, (AP):

Hundreds of people are dying in military detention as Nigeria's security forces crack down on an Islamic uprising in the northeast, Amnesty International said yesterday. Some people are shot outright, some starve and others suffocate to death, it said.

"Others were reportedly shot in the leg during interrogations, provided no medical care and left to bleed to death," the London-based human rights group said in a new report that includes testimony from freed detainees.

More than 950 people died in military custody in the first six months of this year, according to "credible information" from a senior Nigerian army officer, it said. If true, that would mean that Nigeria's military has killed more civilians than the extremists during the first half of 2013.

Amnesty International called for an urgent investigation. But Nigeria's security forces are notorious for extrajudicial killings, according to rights groups and witnesses.

Two military spokesmen did not immediately respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment yesterday, a public holiday as Muslims celebrate the feast of Eid al-Adha.