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Global rights group Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the reported deaths of at least 150 members of the Fulani community allegedly detained at a military-controlled facility in Kwara State.
In a statement issued on April 30, 2026, the organisation said the victims—many of them children—were among about 1,500 Fulani pastoralists held for months at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Yikpata, Kwara State.
According to Amnesty International, the detainees were displaced persons who fled attacks by armed groups across parts of the state, including Asa, Edu, Ifelodun and Patigi local government areas. The group alleged that, instead of receiving protection, they were transported by security forces to the camp, where they have remained in prolonged detention.
The organisation claimed that conditions at the facility are overcrowded and unsanitary, with restricted movement, inadequate food, and limited access to healthcare—leading to cases of malnutrition and disease. It also expressed concern over the welfare of pregnant women at the camp, stating that many face life-threatening risks due to insufficient maternal care.
The Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said those affected are facing threats both from armed groups and state authorities.
“Instead of receiving protection, they are being denied their rights to liberty, movement, education and healthcare,” he said, adding that several detainees reported losing family members while in custody.
Amnesty International said its findings were based on field visits conducted between April 5 and 11, during which researchers engaged dozens of affected persons and interviewed family members, detainees and survivors.
Testimonies cited by the organisation described severe hunger and rising fatalities within the camp. One detainee reportedly said her two children died of starvation, while another survivor claimed that more than 150 people had died from hunger and disease since their detention.
The group also alleged cases of discriminatory profiling, claiming that some individuals were targeted based on their identity, subjected to unlawful searches, and forced to pay bribes.
