By Ammar M. Rajab
On the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Zaria Massacre, the Academic Forum of the Islamic movement in Nigeria (AFIMN) has petitioned the United Nations, Amnesty International Nigeria, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), urging them to ensure accountability for the killings.
The petitions, signed by Professor Abdullahi Danladi on behalf of AFIMN, were delivered on Monday, December 8, 2025, to the three institutions, each of which officially acknowledged receipt with stamped confirmations.
According to AFIMN, the December 2015 military crackdown in Zaria resulted in the deaths of hundreds of unarmed civilians. Many others were reportedly subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearance. Independent investigations at the time estimated casualties ranging from several hundred to over one thousand, with reports of secret mass burials.
“Ten years of silence and impunity cannot erase the pain of the Zaria Massacre. Justice delayed is justice denied,” the forum stated in its petition, emphasising the urgent need for accountability.
AFIMN expressed concern that a decade after the tragedy, no senior military or government officials have faced prosecution. Families of victims continue to endure intimidation, social stigmatisation, and prolonged denial of justice, truth, and official recognition.
In letters addressed to the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Amnesty International Nigeria, and the NHRC, the forum called for an independent international investigation and renewed pressure on authorities to prosecute military and political leaders who ordered or condoned the violence.
The petition emphasises that accountability is essential to uphold human rights standards in Nigeria. AFIMN urged international human-rights organisations to reaffirm their commitment to justice by ensuring perpetrators face prosecution and survivors receive recognition, truth, and dignity.
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