The Headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), has clarified that a widely recirculated Amnesty International report on deaths at Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri concerns events from 2016 and should not be presented as a recent development.
The military clarification followed the renewed circulation of the report on social media and other platforms, with OPHK warning that sharing the document without its original date and context could create the impression that the reported deaths occurred in 2026.
Amnesty International published its briefing, “If you see it, you will cry”: Life and death in Giwa barracks, in May 2016. The organisation reported that at least 149 detainees, including children, had died between January and April 2016.
In a statement signed by the Acting Military Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Captain Mohammed Goni, OPHK said the figures in the Amnesty report relate to alleged deaths recorded during 2016.
The task force urged media organisations, online platforms and members of the public to distinguish between historical reports and current developments when sharing security-related information.
According to OPHK, the report represents Amnesty International’s account of events at the time but should not be used to characterise the prevailing situation at Giwa Barracks in 2026.
Amnesty International’s 2016 report said at least 149 people had died after being detained at Giwa Barracks between January and April 2016, including 11 children under six. It attributed the deaths to conditions it described as involving disease, hunger, dehydration and other forms of ill-treatment, based on interviews and other evidence gathered by the organisation.
Amnesty subsequently reported that the number had risen to at least 168 in 2016 after additional deaths were documented following publication of the May briefing.
The historical findings should therefore be distinguished from any claim about conditions at the facility in 2026.
OPHK said the Joint Investigation Centre at Giwa Barracks currently operates under Nigerian laws, established procedures and applicable international standards.
The task force said emphasis is placed on the welfare, lawful treatment and rehabilitation of detainees, including access to necessary care, skills acquisition and vocational training.
It also said detainees have access to Western and Islamic education as part of the rehabilitation process.
According to OPHK, the centre maintains engagement with relevant humanitarian and human rights organisations, while national and international media organisations were granted access in 2026 to observe its activities and prevailing conditions.
The Joint Task Force called on media organisations to provide the original dates and relevant context whenever archival reports are reproduced.
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OPHK said doing so would help prevent historical allegations from being inadvertently presented as current events and reduce the risk of unnecessary public apprehension.
The task force also urged members of the public to verify the date, source and context of security-related reports before sharing them online.
OPHK said it remained committed to professional conduct, respect for applicable laws and standards, and continuous improvement in the management and welfare of persons in its custody.
The task force added that it would continue operations aimed at restoring peace and normalcy across Nigeria’s North-East.
