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| Gen. Yakubu Gowon |
Report By Campaign For Democracy South-East Region Publicity Arm
The Campaign for Democracy (CD), South-East Region has urged the
International Criminal Court (ICC), to probe former Military Head of
State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon for crime against
humanity.
``ICC should probe Gowon for masterminding the killing of over 2
million Biafra children and youth during the civil
war,’’ CD said in a statement.
The statement, which was released to the news media in Onitsha, Anambra state,
was signed by Dede Uzor A. Uzor, Chairman, CD South-East Region.
``Going by the atrocities committed against the defenseless Biafrans
by the then military Head-of-State, Gen. Gowon and his lieutenants during the
30-month-civil war; it is crucial that Gowon and his cohorts would be
arrested and brought to justice".
``They should account for the deaths, especially through the regime's economic blockade, which is not in line with international
war engagement rules, the economic blockade led to the massive deaths". The statement said.
The statement further said that people killed during the war was more than the ones killed during the Liberia civil war, because of which
Charles Taylor was arrested and jailed by the ICC.
``We are calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to arrest Gowon
and hand him over to ICC for prosecution".
``Nobody has the right to waste human lives especially to
the magnitude that was lost in the 30-month-war,’’ the statement added.
The statement, however, urged the ICC, in the event of the Nigerian government failing to arrest and handover the former military leader to it, to issue an International
warrant for his arrest in order to further serve as deterrent to war hungry leaders in Africa.
"Those who
survived the war are living and would hopefully, be willing to testify in court,’’ the statement concluded.
