The African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights at its 35th Ordinary Session held from 21st May to 4th June 2004, in Banjul, The Gambia:
Considering the provisions of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the Charter of the United Nations, as well as those of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other regional and international human rights and international humanitarian law treaties to which the Republic of Nigeria is a party;
Deeply concerned over the prevailing situation in the Northern States of Nigeria, particularly the recent ethnic and religious violence in Yelwa, Plateau State and Kano State respectively in May 2004;
Alarmed by the large number of internally displaced persons and enormous loss of life as a result of the recent ethnic and religious violence;
Recalling the declarations of the United Nations Secretary-General on May 10, 2004 urging the Nigerian Government to ensure the security of individuals and property and to promote reconciliation in conformity with the principles of the rule of law;
Mindful of the mandate of the African Commission in terms of the Charter to promote and protect human and peoples rights:
1. Deplores the grave and rampant human rights violations committed against the civilian populations in the Northern part of Nigeria
2. Urges the Nigerian Government to bring the perpetrators of any human rights violation to justice, and to compensate victims and their families;
3. Calls upon the Nigerian Government to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and other international human rights instruments;
4. Decides to send a fact-finding mission to investigate all human rights violations committed in the northern part of Nigeria.
Done in Banjul, The Gambia, 4th June, 2004.
