Rest in Pieces: Torure and Deaths By Nigeria Police Forces

By HRW | Published July 2005

Another man, held at Kano State police headquarters between February and March 2005, witnessed the death of a co-detainee. He told Human Rights Watch: “One person was taken from the cell. His name was Nairu Gewa.” When he returned to the cell the man saw Nairu Gewa had been shot in both legs, “He was shot in both legs. I personally treated his wounds, but he was urinating blood and later died in the cell.” Several other people who had been detained at the Kano State police command described to Human Rights Watch how they or co-detainees were beaten by two sergeants, one corporal and other policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), all of whom were identified to Human Rights Watch researchers by name. To Human Rights Watch’s knowledge, these officers are still working at the Kano State police command.


Rivers and Blood: Guns, Oil, and Power

By HRW | Published February 2005

The transition to democracy in 1999 exacerbated youth militancy as unscrupulous politicians used hired “thugs” to carry out violence to ensure their victory at the polls. Prior to the 1999 and 2003 federal, state, and local elections, all parties, but most effectively the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), recruited and armed members of youth groups to intimidate opposition politicians and their supporters. During the recent April and May 2003 state and federal elections, more than 100 people were killed country-wide in political violence, mainly by members or supporters of the PDP. Hundreds more were killed in political violence in the months preceding.5 According to a local non-governmental organization involved in monitoring the 2003 state and federal elections, the levels of violence in Rivers State during the elections amounted to “a low intensity armed struggle. Weapons and firearms of various types and sophistication were freely used.”


Reports on Human Rights Practices 2005

By US State Dept. | Published 28 February 2005

The Government at times restricted freedom of speech and press. The Government continued placing limits on freedom of assembly, citing security concerns. Some state governments placed limits on some religious rights, and some government programs discriminated between religious groups. The Government occasionally restricted freedom of movement for security reasons in areas of unrest and used lethal force at checkpoints. Domestic violence and discrimination against women remained widespread.


Nigeria: Profile of International Displacement

By Global IDP | Published 1 February 2005

Unlike other parts of Nigeria, which have experienced inter-communal violence with tragic regularity, Jos, until September 2001, had always been viewed as a peaceful city. To many Nigerians, the Plateau State motto of ‘Home of Peace and Tourism’ was more than an empty slogan. Indeed, many people fleeing conflicts in their own areas had sought protection and safety in Jos; some had even settled there. Some observers believe that this regular influx of populations from neighboring states may have ended up destabilizing the tranquility of Jos. People fleeing in 2000 and 2001 from clashes in Kaduna, Bauchi, Taraba, and Nasarawa states may have inadvertently contributed to creating an atmosphere of fear among inhabitants of Plateau State .


RECENT ENTRIES
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Even if his pessimism doesn’t seem wholly warranted, a sense of foreboding surely is, which is why his warnings have to be taken seriously. Mr. Phillips writes that the inventors and marketers of the new financial instruments didn’t entirely understand them. An executive of Fidelity International says a panicky feeling has set in on Wall Street because no one knows where the risks really are. The finance minister of France observes that investments may have reached such a level of complexity that no one can assess them. And Charles R. Morris, in his own gloomy book, “The Trillion Dollar Meltdown,” reports that even Citigroup’s chief financial officer “did not know how to value his holdings.

What Ails the American Economy?
By Kevin Phillips, Barry Gewen
28 Feb 2009

Even if his pessimism doesn’t seem wholly warranted, a sense of foreboding surely is, which is why his warnings have to be taken seriously. Mr. Phillips writes that the inventors and marketers of the new financial instruments didn’t entirely understand them. An executive of Fidelity International says a panicky feeling has set in on Wall Street because no one knows where the risks really are. The finance minister of France observes that investments may have reached such a level of complexity that no one can assess them. And Charles R. Morris, in his own gloomy book, “The Trillion Dollar Meltdown,” reports that even Citigroup’s chief financial officer “did not know how to value his holdings.