Nigeria slated for rights abuses

The Commonwealth suspended Nigeria over Saro-Wiwa's execution

A leading US human rights organisation has accused the Nigerian Government of using violence and intimidation to silence its critics.

The report by Human Rights Watch was released as Nigeria prepares to host a meeting of 52 Commonwealth heads of government which begins on Friday.

The report accuses Commonwealth leaders of double standards and says they should not turn a blind eye to abuses.

Nigerian officials rejected the accusations as an "exaggeration".

Queen Elizabeth II will open the meeting in the capital, Abuja.

Hypocritical

The 40-page report accuses the Nigerian Government of being responsible for killings, torture and harassment of its critics over the last two years.

Unless the Commonwealth addresses abuses in all of its member countries and denounces them accordingly, its credibility will be undermined Peter Takirambudde Human Rights Watch Is the Commonwealth a spent force?

The report, entitled "Renewed Crackdown on Freedom of Expression", says that opposition leaders, political protesters and journalists have all fallen foul of the security forces, although the situation has improved since civilian rule was restored in 1999.

"Even though military rule has ended, Nigerians still cannot express themselves freely without fear of grave consequences," said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of the group's Africa division.

He also accuses police of recently beating up members of the Ogoni ethnic group.

And he says the Commonwealth was hypocritical in excluding Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe from the meeting while ignoring violence in Nigeria.

"Foreign governments remained virtually silent about election violence in Nigeria, yet abuses during the Zimbabwe elections provoked widespread condemnation," Mr Takirambudde said.

"Unless the Commonwealth addresses abuses in all of its member countries and denounces them accordingly, it will stand accused of maintaining double standards and its credibility will be undermined."

Embarrassment

Responding to the accusations, Julius Ihonvbere - a special adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo - told the Associated Press news agency that democracy in Nigeria needed support and encouragement, and should not be "kicked down".

"The human rights community in this country has a mindset of opposition at all costs," he said.

However, the BBC's Anna Borzello in Lagos says the criticism is of particular embarrassment to the government as the execution of Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa eight years ago led to Nigeria being suspended from the Commonwealth.

The country was only re-admitted in 1999 with the return of civilian rule and President Obasanjo has since fought hard to gain acceptance on the world stage.

The decision to hold the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Nigeria has been taken as proof that the country has finally fully returned to the fold.