IV. Witness Accounts of Arbitrary Killings by the Police

Human Rights Watch researchers documented 15 separate incidents of arbitrary killings by the police, during which at least 74 men and boys, all but two of them Muslims, were killed.[32] The vast majority of police killings were perpetrated by the anti-riot Police Mobile Force, commonly referred to as the MOPOLs. Witness statements from seven of these incidents are described below.

Incident 1: Angwan Rogo (Bauchi Road)

On November 29, MOPOLs responded to an altercation in the Angwan Rogo neighborhood between Muslim and Christian youth by chasing down and killing at least 26 Hausa Muslims. Human Rights Watch interviewed six witnesses to the incident, which occurred in a large compound used for repairing cars and motorcycles on Bauchi Road. Two witnesses who helped remove the bodies of the victims guided Human Rights Watch researchers through the scene on December 4, pointing out each place where they had found and later removed a body. In many places, bloodstains, bullet marks, and what appeared to be human remains were clearly visible. There were also a number of spent bullet casings at the scene. The two witnesses said that bodies were found under cars and car parts such as hoods, behind rows of motor scooters, and inside and beside several small wooden structures on the compound.[33] Two other witnesses described how the military had initially tried to calm the situation and warned the Muslim youth to return to their houses because the MOPOLs would arrive in 20 minutes.[34] A 26-year-old mechanic, who witnessed the killings while hiding in the second story of an adjacent building, described what he saw:

In this neighborhood, the Muslims live on this side, and the Christians live on the other side. There is a government quarters across the street and that morning at around 8 a.m. a man took a gun and started firing at Hausas so they would not cross the road. The Hausa young men from this side started gathering across the street from where the man with the gun was. I saw about 200 Hausas gathered this side and eventually there were about 20, including the guy with the gun, on the other side.

Later, soldiers came to try to calm things down. One of them went over to where the Christians were, shot in the air, and told them to go back from the road. The Christian people ran into their community. Then another [soldier] told the Hausas to go back home as well. Some of the Hausas agreed to go back home and the soldiers left. But later, more and more Hausas started gathering. The [Hausa] youths thought the Christians would return and attack this side.

Then between 9 and 10 a.m. the MOPOLs arrived in a heavy truck they use, which they parked about 300 to 400 meters down Bauchi Road. I saw about 20 or more MOPOLs in all, but around 10 of them got down and started creeping toward the compound… like they wanted to surprise the 50 to 60 youths who were still gathered on the road. When they got to the entrance, the MOPOLs opened fire, making all the youths take off running. After this, they started chasing the youths as they ran to seek cover in the compound. I saw them enter one house just across the street from us. We heard shots and later we saw five bodies there. Anyone they found hiding in the garage, they shot them. They combed the garage hunting for people. This went on for about 10 minutes or so. Then they returned to their truck and left. They were dressed like the MOPOLs always dress-with that black top and green trousers, and with all the patches they always wear.[35]

A man who worked at the compound described what he saw that day:

[On November 29, around 8:30-9 a.m.], I was standing [near the back gate of the compound]. I then saw about 30 people running down the path into the compound where I was. They were being shot at by the MOPOLs. I could hear the bullets coming in. People tried to climb over the wall. Other people ran out of the gate. Around eight MOPOLs came down our path. They shot four people right in front of me. The guard who works at the front [of the compound] was afraid and grabbed onto me. He told the police that we worked together. They asked me who this man was. I said he is a colleague. They ignored me and pulled him from me. The MOPOL then shot M. [his colleague] once in the chest. I was right next to him when they shot him. The police who shot him was very close. The people who were killed did not have any weapons.[36]

Bloodstains remain on the ground where a Muslim man was allegedly killed by the mobile police on an automobile compound on Bauchi Road. At least 26 Muslims were killed in the same incident on the morning of November 29. © 2008 Human Rights Watch

Incident 2: Rikkos (Angwan Damisa)

Witnesses described how on the morning of November 29, MOPOL officers entered the Angwan Damisa neighborhood in Rikkos and shot and killed eight residents. The MOPOLs shot two unarmed residents in the street and summarily executed six people inside a local bakery.[37] A man who works at the bakery described what he saw that day:

On Saturday around 9:30 a.m. we were sitting in front of the bakery. There were four of us sitting down. There were three people in the shop. A neighbor came from across the street to ask if there was bread. I saw two people walking in our direction. Behind them I saw about seven mobile police. They were in mobile police uniforms. Two were wearing black tops and green trousers. The others were wearing all green. They all had guns. The two men were unaware that the mobile [police] were following them from behind. I saw the mobile police cocking their guns towards this direction. When the two gentlemen turned around and saw the mobile police they ran into the bakery. They had no arms [weapons]. I ran across the street to an alley. I looked back and saw the mobile police enter the bakery. I then heard shooting. The mobile police came out and started shooting outside. They then put the place ablaze. I saw them throw something into the bakery. They also threw something on top of the buildings across the street. They then went to the other side and started shooting and came back and left.

I heard someone crying inside the bakery that they wanted to drink water. The building was burning on one side. When I came inside I saw blood all inside. Only one of them didn't give up [was still alive] but the others were dead. They were all in the same room. I don't know where they were shot because there was blood everywhere. Three of them [the dead] were the staff, including the manager of the bakery. The other was a neighbor-who had come to buy bread-and the other two were the neighbor men [who had run into the bakery]. They were all Muslim, Hausa. The fire was still burning and I called others to come assist me and we removed them from the house. I then took the man who was still alive to the hospital and he died in the hospital. We brought him back and took the six of them to the Central Mosque about 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.[38]

Incident 3: Rikkos (New Layout)

On the morning of November 29, the MOPOLs arrived at the house of a prominent Islamic scholar in Rikkos. Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that they saw the MOPOLs shoot four people in front of the Islamic scholar's house, including two of his family members. They described how the MOPOLs then set the body of his younger brother on fire, burned several cars, and launched tear gas into his house.[39] A resident also described how he witnessed the MOPOLs pull four Muslim Yoruba men out of their house and summarily execute them:

Saturday morning between 8:30-9 a.m., I was outside when I saw four white Hilux vehicles with no markings. I saw eight police wearing MOPOL uniforms-green and black. I thought everything was going to be fine. Immediately I saw the police start shooting. I ran to a rock and hid myself.... [From where] I was hiding in the rock I saw the MOPOL use a gun to hit the door of a house but it did not open. Then the police kicked the door open. Six of the police went inside and two stayed outside. I then saw them take four people out of the house. They lined the people up on the ground in front of the house. The MOPOLs started shooting them. From there I looked down and saw nothing more.[40]

Incidents 4 and 5: Angwan Keke and Bulbulla

On the morning of November 29, mobs of Christians and Muslims clashed in the Angwan Keke neighborhood for about one hour. Shortly after the clashes subsided, a group of MOPOLs entered Angwan Keke and the adjacent neighborhood of Bulbulla shooting into the air and breaking into houses. The 20 residents from both communities interviewed by Human Rights Watch reported that over the next approximately one hour, the MOPOLs broke into at least six houses and executed at least 13 unarmed men and boys they found.[41] The residents also described how the MOPOLs lobbed tear gas into a small mosque and into the home where one of the wounded lay dying.[42] The residents further described how when the MOPOLs left they detained 13 men and boys, all of whom were later reported to be in police custody.[43] A witness to the execution of an unarmed shopkeeper in Bulbulla described what he saw:

As the firing started, A. [the shopkeeper] told us to run into our houses because the police were coming. The police must have seen him run into his shop, so when they got to his place they started yelling for him to come out. I saw four MOPOLs and one policeman. He came out with his arms up, begging for them to leave him. They told him to lay down. He kept saying, "Please God, allow me to live." They were speaking in Pidgin and Hausa. One of them said, "Today you go die," and then he shot him in the side. Then the same MOPOL shot him again. As he was going to shoot him a third time, the other MOPOL said in Hausa, "Leave it, he's already dead." After the MOPOLs left, A. dragged himself into the neighbor's house.[44]

The neighbor described what happened next:

I live next door to Mr. A., the shopkeeper. After being shot by the MOPOLs, he crept, pulling himself along the ground, into my house. I asked him where he was wounded, but he said he didn't know. I lifted up his shirt and saw he'd been shot twice-once in the back and once in the abdomen. As I was trying to stop the bleeding, the MOPOLs came back and threw a tear gas canister into my house. A. died a short time later. After, I picked up five or six bodies-I didn't know their names. The MOPOLs had started killing across the ravine. We heard shots coming from there, and then they came into Bulbulla.[45]

A 45-year-old teacher from Angwan Keke described what he saw:

On Saturday morning at around 7:30, the Christian people from Congo Russia-which is the community just above us-lined up on the hill and rocks and starting shouting and throwing rocks and bottles filled with petrol down at us. One of them had a shotgun and was firing at us. There were about 300 to 400 of them. When we saw this, we picked up stones and sticks and went to defend our border. But our youths were fierce and after about one hour we managed to chase them back into Congo Russia. About 10 minutes later, policemen dressed in the MOPOL uniform came crashing into Angwan Keke. They arrived by foot, I saw four of them dressed the way the MOPOLs dress with black tops and green trousers. As soon as the MOPOLs started shooting, our people started shouting, "Hey, the police are shooting-run, run!" I heard the MOPOLs saying, "Just shoot the bastards," in English. They spent about one hour here breaking doors, jumping into people's houses, throwing tear gas into the mosque and killing people-about seven people including three old men were killed here. They also arrested 13 youths; we later learned that one or two of them are in prison. When they got to the mosque, I heard one of them asking, "Is this not a mosque?" Then another said, "Burn it," but in the end they threw the tear gas in and gassed out three people, including one who was sick. When they left, some of them ran down the ravine and up into Bulbulla neighborhood, while other MOPOLs left with the youth they'd arrested.[46]

Incident 6: Dutse Uku

A young Christian boy from the Dutse Uku neighborhood described the killing of two of his brothers by a MOPOL officer on the morning of November 29. The boy was later detained by the MOPOLs and spent several days in police custody:

At around 7 in the morning, I was inside the house with my family eating when about six mobile police came. They were wearing green trousers and black shirts and all had guns. They dragged me to the road and told me to lie down. One of the mobile police came and took his gun and knocked it on my arm. The other mobile said I should get up and leave. But the other mobile said I should not go home but should get in the car. I got into the car. They asked one of my brothers [who had also been detained] to lie down [on the ground], but he responded that there was no space to lie down. The other mobile came and "packed" him [kicked his legs from underneath him so he would fall]. He then stomped on his back. The other mobile said that he should just waste him. He then shot him in the stomach. My brother is around 19 years old. My other brother was afraid and went to escape and they just shot him from behind. They shot him one time and I saw him lying on the ground. He is 17 years old. The same mobile shot my two brothers. The same mobile also shot another person in the hand. Then they took us to the CID [Criminal Investigation Department].[47]

Incident 7: Congo Junction

A 20-year-old student from Congo Junction described how a MOPOL officer summarily executed his friend inside his house on the morning of November 29:

On Saturday [morning] there were many people trying to cross to Angwan Keke to save the houses that were burning there. On our way there, two Hilux vehicles full of mobile police came. One was black and one was white with no markings on it. We ran away and [five MOPOLs] followed us back. I entered my house with J., my friend who lives at our house as well. He is 20 years old. J. tried to close the door but the mobile police pushed the door with his leg. J. fell down. The policeman then shot him. He shot him twice. Once in his chest; the second time he put the gun in his mouth and shot him. It was a big gun not a pistol. I saw it from behind the door. The policeman then laughed and left the house and left with the others. He was wearing the complete uniform of the mobile police-black shirt and green trousers.[48]