Nigeria must protect the rights of civilians and avoid any "heavy handed" response as it moves against Islamist rebels to enforce a state of emergency, a top US official said Wednesday.
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"We call on Nigerian officials to ensure that Nigeria's security forces protect civilians in any security response in a way that respects human rights and the rule of law," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.
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He also urged Nigerian authorities to investigate clashes between soldiers and Islamist gunmen last month in the town of Baga on Lake Chad in which about 200 people were killed to ensure "those responsible are held accountable."
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Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan issued the emergency decree late Tuesday, acknowledging for the first time that Boko Haram militants had "taken over" parts of northern Borno state, the insurgents' stronghold.