NIGERIA COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 14 June 2013 NIGERIA 14 JUNE 2013 Contents Preface Useful news sources for further information Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Languages, ethnicity and religion ....................................................................... 1.04 Population ............................................................................................................. 1.07 Public holidays ..................................................................................................... 1.08 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.09 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (1960-2012) .................................................. 3.01 Political history ..................................................................................................... 3.01 Independence (1960) ......................................................................................... 3.02 Military rule (1960-1999) .................................................................................... 3.03 Transition to civilian rule and government of Goodluck Jonathan (1999-2011) . 3.04 Boko Haram: the Islamist Threat ........................................................................ 3.08 Other developments ............................................................................................. 3.11 Fuel protests and the ‗Occupy Nigeria‘ movement ............................................. 3.11 Constitutional amendments ................................................................................ 3.15 Dispute with Cameroon over the Bakassi Peninsular ......................................... 3.17 4. CONSTITUTION .......................................................................................................... 4.01 5. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 5.01 Human Rights 6. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 6.01 7. SECURITY SITUATION ................................................................................................. 7.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 7.01 Unrest linked to Boko Haram (predominantly in northern Nigeria) ................. 7.02 Conflict drivers ................................................................................................... 7.02 Tactics and areas of operation ........................................................................... 7.10 Human rights violations and counter terrorism measures .................................. 7.17 Jos city and the ‘Middle Belt’ .............................................................................. 7.23 Conflict drivers ................................................................................................... 7.23 Human rights violations ...................................................................................... 7.25 The Niger Delta ..................................................................................................... 7.29 Conflict drivers ................................................................................................... 7.29 Human rights violations and the role of militias .................................................. 7.31 Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) ............................. 7.35 Government amnesty, 2009-2012 ...................................................................... 7.39 8. SECURITY FORCES .................................................................................................... 8.01 Police ..................................................................................................................... 8.03 Corruption and human rights violations committed by the police ....................... 8.07 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 8.14 Counter-terrorism measures and human rights violations committed by the army ................................................................................................................... 8.17 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 8.21 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 1 February 2013. 14 JUNE 2013 NIGERIA Arbitrary arrest and detention ............................................................................. 8.21 Torture, ill treatment and use of excessive force ................................................ 8.25 Extra-judicial killings ........................................................................................... 8.30 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 8.35 9. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 9.01 10. NON-STATE ARMED GROUPS ...................................................................................... 10.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 10.01 List of known non-state armed groups/’cults’ ................................................... 10.06 Boko Haram and its splinter groups ................................................................... 10.08 11. JUDICIARY ................................................................................................................ 11.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 11.03 Independence ....................................................................................................... 11.06 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 11.08 Criminal Code ....................................................................................................... 11.11 Shari’a law ............................................................................................................. 11.12 Customary law ...................................................................................................... 11.17 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 14.01 Legal framework ................................................................................................... 14.01 Implementation of death sentences and executions ......................................... 14.04 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................. 15.01 Freedom of political expression .......................................................................... 15.01 Political violence .................................................................................................. 15.04 Freedom of association and assembly ............................................................... 15.10 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ............................................................................... 16.01 The internet and social media ............................................................................. 16.05 Journalists ............................................................................................................ 16.07 Violence and intimidation ................................................................................... 16.07 Corruption .......................................................................................................... 16.13 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .................................... 17.01 International protection instruments .................................................................. 17.03 National Human Rights Commission .................................................................. 17.04 18. CORRUPTION ............................................................................................................ 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION .............................................................................................. 19.01 Religious demography ......................................................................................... 19.04 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 19.06 Discrimination ...................................................................................................... 19.09 Sectarian violence ................................................................................................ 19.12 20. ETHNIC GROUPS ......................................................................................................