Ceaseless Killing Of Unarmed Citizens:
Onitsha Nigeria, 21st of February 2016 - This is third and concluding part of the 10-page
letter written by the leadership of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law, supported
by the leaderships of the
Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations (SBCHROs). The
letter was addressed to Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Gabrial Olonisakin
and Minister of Interior, Retired Gen Abdulrahman Dambazzau, PhD and dated 16th of
February 2016. It was referenced: Ceaseless
Killing Of Unarmed Citizens In Nigeria: Why Security Chiefs Must Desist From
Provoking More Insurgencies Capable Of Plunging Nigeria Into Syrian Style
Violence and copied to the UN Secretary General, the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, among others.
We had in the
10-page letter authoritatively informed the duo of Chief of Defence Staff and
Minister of Interior; members of the international community and international
rights and media community as well as all Nigerians that the Federal
Government of Nigeria is provoking or instigating more insurgencies in the
country by unleashing its State violence on unarmed and peaceful members of the
Indigenous People of Biafra and their teeming supporters by killing and maiming
them in ways and manners suggestive of ethnic cleansing; that by so doing,
Federal Government has unpardonably violated its sacred constitutional and
international treaty obligations; that its army, police and navy had since 30th of
August 2015 killed at least 80 IPOB members and their supporters; deadly maimed
and lacerated at least 170; and arrested, detained, charged or kept in
captivity without trial of at least 400; that its army, police and navy
specifically killed 22 IPOB members on 9th of February 2016 in
the compound of the National High School in Aba, Abia State; deadly maimed over
30 others and further murdered gruesomely 13 of them and dumped them inside a
Borrow Pit located along Aba-Port Harcourt Road in Abia State, Southeast
Nigeria; and that in the security forces killing index, army was responsible
for 60% of the butcheries, police 30% and others including the navy 10%. Full video
clips of the Aba National High School massacre and the Aba-Port Hartcourt Road
Borrow Pit dumping of 13 murdered IPOB members are available on request.
Shot & Critically Injured Victims: Out of over 170 citizens that were shot and
critically injured by Nigerian security forces particularly the Army, Police
and Navy between 30th of August 2015 and 9th of
February 2016, most of them are found in Delta, Rivers, Anambra,
Abia and Enugu States. Of these, over 40 citizens were critically shot and
injured in Anambra (30th August, 2nd and 17th December
2015); 80 in Abia State ( particularly on18th of January 2016,
29th of January 2016 and 9th of February 2016),
21 in Rivers State (30th August 2015); 10 in Delta State (30thAugust
2015) and 6 in Enugu State. These exclude scores of others critically shot and
injured in related nonviolent protests in those States as well as Bayelsa State
that went unreported or unaccounted for.
Among those
shot and critically injured in Rivers by Nigerian Army and the Police on 30th of
August 2015 are Citizens Sunday Udegbe, Nwabunne Udo, Agwasi Anthony, Meshach
Emmanuel, Chinwendu Ogbonna, Amanda Onyekachi, Emmanuel Arinze, Okwudiri Ojah,
Chibuike David, Uzochi Ugwojialili, Chukwuma Igwe, Kingsley Okere, Chinedu
Solomon Iwu, Okon Emmanuel Udo, Kelechi Uwaeze, Dominic
Uwalaka, Solomon Chikwe, Ikenna Ezekwem, Thomas Ubani, Amarachi
Onyemachi and Chukwudi Ofoegbuliwe. In Enugu State, the following were shot and
critically injured: Mr. Godswill Ojikeme, Mrs. Chinyere Godswill Ojikeme,
Monday Ogbodo, Jonah Kelechi, Onuigbo Paul and Obiorah Innocent.
Those deadly
shot and wounded in Delta State are: Chinedu Abel, Onovo Michael, Kingsley
Anuife, Amechi Ojieh, Ogbonna Kanayo, David Ogbu, Charles Chukwuka, Elochukwu
Uzor, Chinedu Chukwuma and Onyekanna Ifechukwudebelu. Those shot and critically
injured on 30th August 2015 in Anambra State are: Sampson Kalu,
Chidiebere Nnaji, Onyekwelu Ovute, Felix Ndianaefo, Ikechukwu Okafor, Chimaobi
Okafor, Christopher Oforah, Sunday Nwazugbo, Stanley Eze, Mrs. Eucharia and
Mrs. Patricia. Among those shot and critically injured by soldiers, Police and
Navy in Onitsha on 2nd of December 2015 are: Citizens Jonah
Kelechi, Nwode Friday, Ogodo Monday, Nwankwo Ejike, Onuigbo Paul, Mbonu Izunna
and Obiora Innocent. Among those shot and critically injured by security forces
in Onitsha on 17th of December 2015 peaceful and nonviolent
protest are: Amadi Chinonso, Chukwudi Dabelechi, Alo Amechi, Nwaele Chigozie,
Okonkwo Felix, Eneje Emeka, Uchechukwu Kingsley, Igwebuike Chinonso,
Onyemaechi Ikeagu, Nwaoba Emeka, Nwajioha Chinonso, Nwaele Chinonso, Ijeoma
Chukwu, Francis Ikechukwu, Ejike Jideoffor, Makuochukwu Ozobi and Okechukwu
Okonkwo.
Among innocent
and unarmed citizens shot and critically injured in Aba on 9th of
February by security forces under reference are: Mrs. Charity Ahuruonye (40yrs),
from Ugwunabo in Abia State; Chibuzor Akabueze (29yrs), from Mbano in Imo
State, Chukwuemeka Iwuoha (Nwangele in Imo State), Chibuzor Chukwu (Oshiri in
Ebonyi State), Innocent Chinedu Okoro (52yrs), from Akuma Ihechiowa in Abia
State, Obinna Emmanuel Alaribe (26yrs), from Umuobasi in Abia State, Uchenna
Ihuoma (28yrs), from Njaba in Imo State, Ekene Uzor (29yrs), from Ojoto in
Anambra State, Sunday Kalu (63yrs), from Ihechiowa in Abia State; Mrs. Nnenna
Okebe (55yrs), from Abiriba in Abia State; Mrs. Comfort Kingsley (32yrs); Mrs.
Ngozi Paul (34yrs), from Amumara Mbaise in Imo State; and Ifiok Alexandra
Ibanga (Ubon Akwa-Obot Akara in Akwa Ibom State; all totaling 85 shot and
critically wounded citizens..
Some of the
gunshot victims mentioned above in Delta, Anambra, Rivers, Enugu and Abia
States have died following the gravity of their gunshot injuries and lack of
funds needed for their proper medical treatments. Most, if not all of them were
shot at close range by the murderous security forces under reference. Some have
been crippled and can never walk again while others have their limbs or arms
amputated; yet others have their body parts badly lacerated. Among these
innocent victims are fathers, breadwinners, tax payers, mothers, pregnant
women, the elderly, sons and daughters and they have used or advocated
violence.
Condemnation: The worst crime against humanity by the State is
killing and maiming of its citizens in peacetime. In wartime, killing of
civilians not taking part in the war by State and non State actors unambiguously
constitutes war crimes and it is a fundamental breach of the Geneva Conventions
of 1949, particularly their Protocol 11 (protection of civilians and other noncombatants
in internal conflicts); how much more killing and maiming of innocent,
nonviolent and unarmed citizens in peacetime. It saddens our heart that
Nigeria, which claims to be a respected member of the international community
including AU and UN, can mindlessly and rapaciously turn its instrument of
State violence against its unarmed, nonviolent and peaceful citizens.
Under the ten basic
standards (Ten Commandments) of international law and humanitarian principles,their
4th commandment forbids Nigeria and other member-States of the
UN from “using
force when policing unlawful but non-violent assemblies”.
Our extensive
investigations also showed that the killing and maiming of IPOB members under
reference is inescapably a hate killing and presidentially sanctioned and
condoned. It is also an ethnic cleansing. Our recent field
observations, observed at various military checkpoints in Aba and Onitsha
clearly indicated the flooding of the Southeast Zone with carefully selected
and posted soldiers mostly dominated by Muslim northerners as young as 22-25
years. These elements are incurably ethnic cleansers and hate killers, once
opportunities occur. They are also under the commands of Muslim officers from
core north with possible matching orders from above to shoot, maim and
kill at sight members of Igbo Ethnic Nationality.
For instance,
the Onitsha Field Artillery Cantonment is headed by Col Isa Abdullahi, a Muslim
officer from core north; likewise the 144 Battalion in Abia State, headed by Lt
Col Kasim Umar Sidi, another killer northern officer. The 82nd Division
of the same Nigerian Army that coordinates the entire army formations in the
Southeast Zone is also headed by Major Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, a Muslim officer
from the core north.
Further
condemned is the unconstitutional roles of the Army in intervening in peaceful
and nonviolent protests under reference. Taking vengeance of its causalities in
the Boko Haram insurgency on innocent and unarmed citizens is recipe for
anarchy and breeding of another insurgency in Nigeria. We are aware that till
date, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), a Niger Delta oil militant, has continued
to defy several court orders and court orders given to security forces in
Nigeria to bring him to court have not been executed till date thereby
suggesting that once armed in Nigeria, a citizen is feared and respected
by security forces. In other words, Nigerian security forces under
your administrative midwifery appear to be encouraging citizens to take up arms
and become lawless while discouraging others from being law abiding and
ventilating their social angers within the ambit of the law such as through democratic free
speeches, peaceful and nonviolent processions, picketing and protesting
assemblies. If Nigerian security forces under your administrative
midwifery can be so heartless to direct State violence against innocent and
unarmed citizens exercising their democratic free speeches, then there is
unquenchable danger ahead. Saddening, too, is total abandonment of codes of
conduct guiding the use of force and modern crowd control handling styles,
which includes the proportionality of use of force. The handling styles of the
Nigerian security forces in the named butcheries are gravely in violation of
the Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution and various international human
rights treaties, signed, ratified or domesticated by Nigeria.
The
consequences of unleashing State violence on unarmed citizens are unquenchably
calamitous. Going by modern theory of violence, no State or any group or
individual has monopoly of it. As a matter of fact, violence is very much
around and more menacing in the hands of non State actors and its forms and
applications have no limits. Our recent study of modern intra State or internal
violent conflicts, which are very active in 64 countries around the world;
clearly showed that most of them started as peaceful and nonviolent agitations or protests,
but became violent and devastating following violent responses or crackdowns
and other poor handling styles by host territorial governments. Today,
there are a total of 64 active and devastating internal armed conflicts raging
in 64 countries around the world as at 2015, involving 591 militia-guerrillas
and other armed separatist groups; out of which, 27 internal violent conflicts
are ongoing in Africa, involving 167 militia-guerrillas and other armed
separatist groups. The Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) presently
parades the highest number of armed opposition groups in Africa with 36
(warsintheworld.com 2015). We totally concur with a saying that “the worst peace is
better than the best war”.
That is to say
that Nigeria’s present political leaders must learn from recent histories and
have a total change of attitude. At a point in the history of Ethiopia of the
80s, for instance, fourteen violent conflicts were simultaneously going on in
its entire 14 regions, forcing the country to embark on compulsory recruitment
of every Tom, Dick and Harry including child-soldiers into its standing army.
The country later became the Africa’s largest army with over 500,000 soldiers.
The escalated conflicts in Ethiopia initially started between it and its
Eritrean region, but got escalated and they were principally as a result of Col
Mengistu Haile Mariam’s sit tight and iron fisted leadership and gross
political intolerance including violent crackdowns on unarmed opposition
groups. He was the country’s brutal dictator from 1974-1991.
In Ivory Coast,
it was similar political and violent crackdown against current President
Alassane Dramane Quattara and his Dimbokro tribe; paternal descendants of
former Muslim rulers of Burkina Faso in mid 90s that plunged the country into
violent conflicts (2002-2007 & November 2010-April 2011). In Syria, the
internal violent conflict that began in March 2011 has led to killing of over
260,000 citizens and displacement of over half of the population. The conflict
is also traced to iron fisted leadership of the Assad family (Hafez Al-Assad,
1971-2000 (died in office) and Bashar al-Assad (son) 2000-date) and violent
crackdown on political and sectional opponents. In Somalia, the country is one
of the most homogenous and mono-religious (Muslims) countries in the world, yet
it was political intolerance and violent crackdown on opposition voices;
propelled by political sit-tight of Gen Mohamed Said Bare (1969-1991) that
plunged the country into endless internal violent conflict that led to
balkanization of the country and lawlessness till date.
For the fact that modern violence
knows no border or boundaries and have given birth to “wars-without-borders”, the
Federal Government of Nigeria, under Gen Muhammadu Buhari must be extremely
careful and refrain from breeding or provoking more insurgencies in Nigeria.
The population size of Nigeria (estimated at 174 million) defies any form of humanitarian
emergencies and responses in the event of eruption of another or
escalated ethno-religious inspired violent insurgency or insurgencies. And it
is a common knowledge among modern conflict theorists that value and identity
based violent reactions or conflicts are usually endless and devastating than violent
conflicts over economic needs and interests. Nigerian security chiefs and
political leaders must stop provoking and breeding more insurgencies and in the
event of eruption of more insurgencies in the country; their weapons of
mass murder of today, will become den guns only capable of shepherding their
escape routes to refugee camps.
Demands: We firmly demanded from the duo of Chief of
Defence Staff and Minister of Interior that their two important public offices
must speak and advise President Muhammadu Buhari in Arabic and Hausa Languages
that he understands very well and correctly that Nigeria under his presidency
must not be plunged into another insurgency on account of the militant and
hostile approaches adopted by his administration in responding to peaceful and
nonviolent agitations of pro Biafra activists. IPOB issue is a time bomb on
account of its members and supporters scattering in the darkest and
brightest parts of the world where access to modern
types and forms of violence is at beck and call and limitless. This is in
addition to the modern global culture of borderlessness powered
by information technology or ICT. Other potential insurgencies may also abound
in the country waiting to be provoked or exploded.
President
Muhammadu Buhari must also be advised and made to understand in his native
Hausa and Arabic Languages that a lot has changed between when he held sway in
the military as a coup leader and as civil war participant and present times.
Warfare methodologies have since undergone a series of metamorphoses.
We further
demanded that those involved in the butcheries under reference, that is to say
the Commanding Officer of 144 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Abia State, Lt
Col Kasim Umar Sidi, the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Habila Hosea, the
Aba Area Commander, Peter Nwagbara, the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy
(Finance & Logistics Command), Owerre-Nta, Abia State, the Anambra State
Commissioner of Police, Hosea Karma, the Commanding Officer of the Onitsha
Military Cantonment, Col Isa Abdullahi, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Turkur
Buratai and Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, should be
thoroughly investigated and be made to account for atrocities under reference.
Specifically
the Aba massacre and dumping of 13 murdered bodies inside the Aba-Port Harcourt
Road Borrow Pit should be thoroughly and conclusively investigated. The two
Army Commanding officers under reference (Col Abdullahi and Lt Col Umar Sidi)
should be withdrawn from the Southeast. The present practice whereby the Zone
is flooded with and dominated by young and murderous soldiers of core northern
Muslim origin should reversed. Soldiers to be posted in the Southeast Zone
should comprise those of other geopolitical zones; likewise their commanding
officers. Soldiers should also be barred from involvement in handling peaceful
and non-violent protests and processions in Nigeria; whether such are organized
by IPOB or members of other social groups in the country. To be thoroughly
investigated also is the military status of those young and murderous soldiers
of core northern Muslim origin as young as 22-25 years, who are flooded in the
Southeast to engage in ethnic cleansing. When were they recruited into the
Nigerian Army? If it was months ago, was the recruitment restricted to core
northern part of Nigeria alone?
Nigerian
security forces should also be barred from using live bullets and assault
rifles in handling or controlling peaceful and nonviolent assemblies; and nonlethal
crowd control gadgets with minimum force (if extremely necessary) should be
used. Bearing in mind the international law and UN’s principle of
complementarity, which is also enshrined in the ICC
Statute of 1998, ratified by Nigeria on 27th of September 2001,
this letter of ours was directed to the two important offices under reference
in the hope that they would be “willing and able” to frontally address
the issues under complaint.
Yours faithfully
For: International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
(Onitsha, Southeast Nigeria)
Emeka Umeagbalasi, B.Sc., Criminology & Security Studies; M.Sc.
(Candidate), Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution
Board Chairman
Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Obianuju Joy Igboeli, LLB, BL; LLM (Candidate)
Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program
Mobile Line: +2348034186332
Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe
