...50 defenseless civilians killed in seven days by security forces in “medicine-after-death attacks in Imo, Anambra, ors …killing of ...
...50 defenseless
civilians killed in seven days by security forces in “medicine-after-death
attacks in Imo, Anambra, ors
…killing of unarmed
‘IPOB’ members a clear case of class criminalization and premeditated mass
murder
…senior security
officers of 2015-2023 eras risking int’l isolation and blacklisting for grisly
rights abuses in Nigeria
Onitsha, Eastern
Nigeria
Friday, 20th May 2022
The Nigerian security forces and the present central
Government of Nigeria are dangerously pushing the sedentary and pastoral Igbo
population of Nigeria especially those in Southeast and South-South regions
into suicide terrorism and other forms of advanced terrorist acts. It is a
settled ground in modern conflict theory that “armed resistance especially that
involving guerrilla or terrorism (asymmetric warfare) is better not started or caused to be started
because once started even as a ragtag, it goes full blown with periodic back
and forth modifications characterized by intractability and
irreversibility”. This explains why the
governing authority in every limited civil government is expertly advised to
maximally shun policies geared towards class hatred, segregation and exclusion
as well as ethnic and religious profiling, structural, physical and cultural
violence.
Intersociety had long ago in 2016 warned the present central
Government of Nigeria to discontinue and end its hate and discriminatory
policies against the Trado-Judeo-Christian People of Eastern Nigeria especially
members of Igbo Ethnic Nationality. Disappointingly and incorrigibly, the
present Government of Nigeria and its security forces had not only ignored the
seminal warning but also caused the birth of asymmetric armed opposition groups
in the Region back in Dec 2020 and as if that was not enough, the same Nigerian
Government and its security forces are dangerously pushing the fighting parties
and their embryos into suicide-terrorism and other forms of advanced terrorist
acts.
This is to the extent that apart from killing not less than
200 of the 400 defenseless civilians between Jan and April 2022 and burning
down or destruction of 400 houses and other properties valued at between N16b
and N20b in Southeast, the security forces particularly soldiers and police
have also in the past seven days (12th-19th May 2022) killed not less than 50
members of the defenseless civilian Igbo population; labeling them “IPOB/ESN
members”. The Nigerian security forces onslaught on Southeast lives and
properties is atrociously and selectively perpetrated against members of the
defenseless civilian population while turning blind eyes on real criminal
entities terrorizing the innocent and defenseless civilian population of the
Region. Among the real criminal and atrocious entities holding the Region and
its citizens and properties hostage are Fulani jihadists who have now laid
permanent siege on Isikwuato, Uturu, Okigwe and Okigwe-Arondizogu and
Okigwe-Umunze axis, etc. This is to the extent that students, lecturers and
travelers in the area are facing kidnapping and other terrorist activities
almost on daily basis with Nigerian security forces looking the other way and
focusing only on terrorizing innocent members of the public who they recklessly
and indiscriminately label “ESN/IPOB members”.
The security forces have also turned blind eyes on street
criminal entities including armed robbers, kidnappers, cultists, rapists,
ritualists, car snatchers, premeditated murderers and extractive mineral
criminal gangs as well as provide safe corridors for suspected state raised
fifth columnist counterfeiters. The Nigerian Government and its security forces
also appeared to be tacitly comfortable and supportive of the coordinated
attacks on lives and properties of pastoral citizens of Igbo Ethnic Nationality
especially the last week and this week’s violent attacks on Igbo settlements in
Abuja (Dei Dei Timber Market), Sokoto and Kano States. We had expected the
Nigerian Government and its security forces to act or respond in the same
manner they speedily respond and unleash state coercive instruments on
civilians in the Southeast. This is to the extent that till date, the Muslim
fanatics that launched unprovoked violence against Igbo settlements and their
properties in the aforementioned areas are still on the prowl with impunity and
recklessness. Soldiers of the Nigerian Army or “Tactical or Crack Squads” of
the NPF were also nowhere to be found during the mayhems. Today, affected Igbo
traders and religionists are counting their losses in billions with several of
them rendered pauper for life.
25 Defenseless
Citizens Killed And Falsely Labeled In Imo, 15 In Anambra And 10 In Others
In the defenseless civilian killing spree that cuts across
Imo, Anambra and others in seven days or May 12 to 19 2022, at least 25 persons
were killed by soldiers and police in Imo State and 15 in Anambra State while
not less than 10 others got killed and falsely labeled in Abia, Enugu and
Ebonyi States. Their killings followed “medicine-after-death” attacks on civilian
enclaves or quarters by security forces especially soldiers and police.
“MEDICINE-AFTER-DEATH” attacks or killings by security forces are attacks or
killings associated with hateful, deliberate, crude and arbitrary use of force
by security forces on members of defenseless civilian population belonging to
criminally classified ethnic group for purpose of showcasing false gallantry
and class criminalization and stigmatization. They are perpetrated by security
forces hours or several hours after the opposition fighting parties have
violently operated and left the scenes. Security forces usually storm the
scenes and open fire, shooting terminally at close range targeting civilian
inhabitants or passersby with intent to kill or wound and arrest and publicly parade
them as “unknown gunmen or ESN/IPOB members”. After being killed or maimed,
they are publicly paraded with maliciously assembled incriminating items (such
as un-prohibited firearms, cartridges and insignias or charms, etc) and textual
wording or forcefully extracted voicing; with intent to falsely label and
stigmatize them.
99% Of The 50 Killed
Are Defenseless Civilians
In the latest killing spree which we have substantially
investigated, most or 99% of those killed and labeled by soldiers and police in
Anambra, Imo and others are members of the defenseless civilian population.
Also 99% of the official security information or reports given about their
killing are highly questionable, if not totally false. Textual information
regarding their killing or arrest or parading are also expertly fraught with
inescapable loopholes. For instance, the reported killing by the Anambra State
Police Command of “four sit-at-home enforcers”, “two ESN gang members at
Umunze” and “two ESN gang members at Aguata”, etc, is riddled with falsity and
inconsistencies. At Umunze, it was investigated and found that police stormed
the Nkwo Umunze Market area hours after members of an armed fighting party had
violently sacked traders in the area and destroyed some motorcycles over Monday
sit-at-home. Police team had stormed the scene and opened fire, shooting
terminally in different directions leading to death of two passersby and scores
of violent arrests. The Police later tagged them “ESN Members”. Police also
stormed Amesi-Umuchu-Umunze Road in Aguata on Monday, 16th May, 2022, hours
after members of a fighting party said to be ‘ESN’ had violently dispersed
students taking WAEC exams at the Christ Redeemer College, Amesi and opened
fire, terminally shooting in different directions leading to killing of two
defenseless citizens including one Citizen Monday Ala and a cyclist. The two
slain defenseless citizens also had their motorcycles burnt to ashes by the
police. Citizen Monday Ala who hailed
from Lokpa-Nta in Abia State had lived in Amesi for 25 years and was into
furniture occupation. He was riding to a nearby Chemist store to get some
malaria drugs when he was killed by police team who also fired deadly shots to
prevent his family and well wishers from recovering his body. The police team
later stormed Afor Ezinifite Roundabout where they arrested scores of traders
and passersby. The two dead defenseless citizens were later tagged “ESN/IPOB
hoodlums”. Same was the case with the killing by police of the so called “four
sit-at-home enforcers at Ogidi in Idemmili North Local Government area of
Anambra State”. The “medicine-after-death” killing had taken place several
hours after late Sunday night/early Monday morning (15th/16th May 2022) attacks
by armed fighting parties in the area.
In Imo State, all the reports of killing of “ESN/IPOB gang
members in gun battles” by soldiers and police including “attempted attack at
Eze’s Palace in Orlu” and “busting by soldiers of 34 Brigade of ESN/IPOB gangs
and recovery of their pump action and barrel guns, cartridges and Biafran flags
hidden in a car” are highly controversial and unbelievable. For instance, in
the police report about “the arrest of hoodlums/ESN/IPOB gang members that
killed a police inspector who went missing since 2017”, similar inconsistencies
and loopholes abound. In the same ‘gang’, it took police five years or since
2017 to find out that “one of the suspects (Casmir Mgbugha) is the husband to
the missing inspector (Felicia Nwagbara)” and that “he married her as second
wife, caused her disappearance and killed her with other gang members”. Police
also found five years after that “he is ESN native doctor”. In the same gang,
according to Imo police, “the police camouflage belonging to the missing
inspector was found in possession of the gang five years after”. Also,
according to police, “the same gang members were part of those that escaped
from Imo Prisons in 2021 and in their possession, Biafra flag was found”. Yet,
in the same gang, at least three of the arrested citizens were under-age or
below 18 years of age in 2017 when the alleged criminal acts of missing and
murder were committed. The above instances are just to mention but a few.
Killing Unarmed IPOB Members A Clear Case Of Mass Murder And
Crimes Against Humanity
The continued targeting and killing of unarmed IPOB
activists are not supported by any written law in Nigeria. This is also a clear
case of mass murder and crimes against humanity as well as other
internationally prohibited acts. Tagging a group ‘a terrorist group’ is never a
license to target and massacre its unarmed activists; more so when the
proscription is subject to litigation at the appellate court. Killing unarmed
IPOB activists are clearly against the laid down rules, procedures and provisions
in the Terrorism Prevention Act of 2013, the Administration of Criminal Justice
Act of 2015, the Criminal Code Act of 2004 and the Chapter Four of the 1999
Constitution as well as the Int’l Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of the
United Nations and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights of the
African Union 1981, all ratified by Nigeria in 1993 and 1983. The targeted
killing of unarmed IPOB activists by security forces of Nigeria is also part of
the Government's policies of ethnic profiling, hate policing and structural,
physical and cultural violence. It amounts to ‘extra legal, extra jus and
extrajudicial and acts of negligence to target and kill any unarmed member of a
civil class.
Senior Nigerian
Security Chiefs Of 2016-2023 Eras Risking Int’l Isolation And Blacklisting
The conduct atrocities of Nigeria’s security chiefs who
served since August 2015 and are presently in service till 2023 involving
grisly and egregious rights abuses and violations in Nigeria or any part
thereof have reached a maddening and intolerable stage. This is to the extent
that the Government protected perpetrators and their condoned conduct
atrocities must not internationally go unnoticed and unpunished. That is to say
that there are most likely going to be international campaigns by the apostles
of justice and conscientious others to ensure profiling or bureaucratic
identification of those security chiefs that have held or are holding sway in
the periods covering August 2015 to August 2023; for purpose of internationally
isolating and blacklisting them and ensuring that they are held to account for
their atrocious misdeeds in office. The targeted culprits or conduct atrocity
perpetrators are those that served or are still serving in the Nigerian Army,
Navy, Air Force, Police and its various crack or “special squads” as well as
intelligence agencies.
Signed
For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of
Law
Principal Officers:
Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist), Barr Obianuju Joy Igboeli
and Barr Chidimma Evangeline Udegbunam
Contacts:
Phone/WhatsApp: +2348174090052
Email: Have info@intersociety-ng.org
Website: https://intersociety-ng.org
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