Group Says Boko Haram Killed 815 Nigerians Between Jan. And Sept

Mr Daniel Bekele, Africa Director, Human Rights Watch (HRW), an
International Human Rights Group, said that 815 Nigerians were killed
between Jan. and Aug.by the Boko Haram sect.
Bekele said this on Thursday in a report entitled: "Spiraling
Violence: Boko Haram Attacks andSecurity Force Abuses in Nigeria,"
which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Similarly, Bekele said 211 police officers have also been killed by
the sect since the insurgency began.
"In the first nine months of 2012 alone, more than 815 people diedin
some 275 suspected attacks bythe group.
"This is more than the figure recorded in 2010 and 2011 combined, " he said.
Bekele said that since 2009, hundreds of attacks by the sect have left
more than 1,500 people dead, according to media reports monitored by
his group.
He called on the Nigerian government to take urgent measures to
address the alleged human rights abuses.
The Director said that government has a responsibility to protect its
citizens from violence, but also to respect international human rights
law.
"Instead of abusive tactics that only add to the toll, the authorities
should prosecute without delay those responsible for such serious
crimes.
"The unlawful killing by both Boko Haram and Nigerian security forces
only grows worse;both sides need to halt this downward spiral, ",
Bekele said.
Bekele urged the Islamic sect to immediately cease fire against
Nigerians, which had resulted in wanton destruction of lives and
property.Naijamayor