Buhari supporters took to the streets to protest his defeat; the demonstrations turned violent resulting in killing sprees that have reportedly displaced more than 65,000 people. The group called on Nigerian authorities to “promptly” take action and bring those responsible to justice.
Speaking about the situation in Nigeria, a senior West Africa researcher for Human Rights Watch, Corinne Dufka, said: “The April elections were heralded as among the fairest in Nigeria's history, but they also were among the bloodiest…The newly elected authorities should quickly build on the democratic gains from the elections by bringing to justice those who orchestrated these horrific crimes and addressing the root causes of the violence.”
Reports about the number of people killed in the riots vary, but according to the Christian Association of Nigeria at least 170 Christians had died. The human rights group estimates around 800 Nigerians to have been killed in post election related violence in the northern part of the country.
Sources: The Christian Post, Vanguard, Afrique en Ligue
For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.
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