Nigerian military authorities are facing mounting pressure to address allegations of prolonged detention without trial at a military facility in Maiduguri, as Amnesty International calls for immediate release or formal charges against civilians allegedly held for months or years at the Joint Investigation Centre in Giwa Barracks. The human rights organization issued a stark warning on Tuesday that current detention practices under Operation Hadin Kai may violate constitutional protections and international humanitarian law, demanding urgent reforms to safeguard fundamental rights in the country’s embattled northeast region.
Among the cases documented by the international watchdog are several civilians from across Borno State who reportedly remain in military custody despite never being formally charged with any crime. Mohammed Kontoma, a roadside petrol seller from Konduga Local Government Area, was arrested in Maiduguri in August 2025 while transporting 25 litres of fuel in containers. Nearly a year later, he allegedly remains detained at Giwa Barracks without access to legal representation or trial. Umar Usman, a fisherman from Baga town in Kukawa, faces an even bleaker situation, having reportedly spent approximately two years in detention since his 2024 arrest for using a small solar panel to charge mobile phones, with no formal charges filed and no family access granted throughout his incarceration.
Allegations of extortion and arbitrary arrest involving members of the Civilian Joint Task Force at checkpoints throughout Borno State form a disturbing pattern within the documented cases. Aisami Abatcha, a local pickup driver from Gubio, was reportedly arrested on April 13, 2026, along the Dunga to Gubio road after allegedly refusing to pay a bribe demanded by CJTF personnel at a checkpoint. Following his refusal, he was handed over to military authorities and subsequently detained at Giwa Barracks. Another detainee, Abor Modu from Jere Local Government Area, allegedly found himself imprisoned after reporting CJTF members over extortion allegations and threats of abduction, a case that raises troubling questions about retaliation against those who challenge authority.
Financial irregularities compound the human rights concerns, with families of detainees reporting substantial sums gone missing during arrests. Abubakar Isa Izge, a charcoal seller from Gwoza, was allegedly arrested on April 13, 2026, in Gidan Dambe by officers reported to be from the Department of State Services before being transferred to Giwa Barracks. His family claims that 700,000 naira disappeared during his arrest, an allegation Amnesty International insists requires independent investigation. Similarly, Kyari Modu Kukawa was reportedly arrested while travelling in his vehicle along a road in Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area, in October 2025 and has allegedly remained at Giwa Barracks without trial or access to legal counsel and family members for nearly ten months.
Amnesty International emphasized that Nigerian law and international standards guarantee fundamental protections against arbitrary detention that appear to be systematically violated. The organization stated that people should not be held indefinitely without charge, access to legal representation or an opportunity to challenge the lawfulness of their detention. Rights to liberty mean that no person should be arrested or detained without lawful grounds, including reasonable suion of having committed a recognizable criminal offense. Fair trial guarantees also require that detainees be brought promptly before a judge, have access to legal representation, remain protected from torture and other ill treatment, and be presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty in a court of law.
Moving forward, the international community and Nigerian civil society will be watching closely to see whether military and security authorities respond meaningfully to these allegations or whether detentions without due process continue unchecked in the northeast. Amnesty International has urged authorities to investigate all allegations of arbitrary arrests and extortion at checkpoints and ensure that anyone reasonably suspected of criminal responsibility is brought to justice through a fair process. Whether Operation Hadin Kai implements reforms to align detention practices with constitutional and international standards may well determine not only the fate of those currently held without charge but also the broader credibility of counterinsurgency efforts in a region where winning hearts and minds remains as critical as battlefield victories. Accountability for wrongdoing, where elished, will prove essential to restoring public trust in security operations across Borno State.
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