Amnesty International has accused Nigeria’s security forces of committing serious crimes against humanity in its fight against Islamist insurgency in the north-east region of the country.

A new report released on Thursday by the agency alleges how the crimes which they claimed had been going on for years were perpetrated and have continued despite a presidential inquiry instituted last August.

According to the report, in some cases, the abuses appeared to be part of a pattern of persecution of anyone perceived to have a connection to Boko Haram, adding that instead of receiving protection from the authorities, women and girls had been forced to succumb to rape in order to avoid starvation or hunger.

According to Amnesty’s report, interviewees ‘said that when the military conducted operations in their villages, they burnt down homes and opened fire at remaining residents indiscriminately’.

“It is absolutely shocking that people who had already suffered so much under Boko Haram have been condemned to further horrendous abuse by the Nigerian military,” Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho said.

“Instead of receiving protection from the authorities, women and girls have been forced to succumb to rape in order to avoid starvation or hunger,” Ojigho added.

The human rights watchdog has severally accused Nigerian security forces of raping thousands of women and girls at the Internally Displaced Persons camps across the country.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters has accused Amnesty International of planning to destabilize the country. The military had announced on Wednesday that it received credible intelligence report of a plan by the human rights body to release what it calls a false report.

“The Defence Headquarters therefore, urge all law abiding citizens to continue to trust and support the military in the ongoing war against Boko Haram and go about their normal lawful business,” an extract from the military statement read.