Nigerian rights group to ICC: Investigate extremist school attacks

Nigerian rights group to ICC: Investigate extremist school attacks as crimes against humanity

LAGOS, Nigeria - A Nigerian human rights group said Sunday it is asking the International Criminal Court to urgently investigate the killings of schoolchildren and teachers by suspected Islamic militants in northeast Nigeria as crimes against humanity. The petition from the Socio-Economic and Rights Accountability Project comes a week after attackers gunned down at least 43 students at an agricultural college. They also torched several classrooms. "Most children no longer go to school ... due to the fear of teachers and students being killed" in northeast Nigeria, said the petition signed by the organization's executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni. The Boko Haram terrorist network — its name means "Western education is forbidden" — is accused of killing hundreds of civilians including schoolchildren sitting for examinations in stepped-up attacks that defy a massive military crackdown on their strongholds. The group has claimed many school attacks but has made no statement claiming recent assaults. President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency May 14 in three states covering one-sixth of the country where he said extremists had taken control of towns and villages. He deployed an emergency task force that includes soldiers, police, military intelligence, immigration and customs officials. The military

campaign including punishing air bombardments quickly pushed the militants out of most towns, but into rocky and inaccessible hilly areas. The military said it destroyed one camp in bombing raids last week and killed scores of suspected militants that it believed were responsible for the attack on the agricultural college. It said 15 suspects arrested after the air attacks are being interrogating and are providing information that could lead security forces to other camps. Attacks have surged recently and Jonathan said last week he has asked the military to consider new strategies to defeat the Islamic uprising that began in 2009. Read more: