On 18th December 2015, Intersociety
released a public statement with over ten pictures detailing how the
soldiers of the Onitsha Military Cantonment; under the command of Col Issah
Abdullahi, stationed at the Niger Bridgehead, opened fire on group of peaceful
and law abiding members of the public, jubilating over the news of the
court-ordered unconditional release of Citizen Nnamdi Kanu, which was issued in
Abuja on Thursday, 17th December 2015. The soldiers after
perpetrating the heinous act as directed by Col Issah Abdullahi; stormed the
hospital where the critically injured citizens, numbering over ten were taken,
for treatment; and abducted them to an unknown destination. The soldiers had
earlier shot and killed eight others and took their corpses away to an unknown
destination. It is most likely that their remains have been buried in an
undisclosed shallow grave. A total of nine innocent citizens were killed in the
shooting including a critically injured citizen that died later at the Paragon
Hospital, in Onitsha and over 13 innocent citizens sustained varying
injuries from gunshots; shot at close range.
Following our call on members of the
public to check the whereabouts of their possibly missing friends, neighbors
and relatives in connection with the dastardly act, and report such to us
through contact links attached in the statement; more details have emerged. The
details include the abduction of two members of the royal family of Ichi
Community in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State. They are Princes
Ogechukwu Okonkwo (31) and Nzubechukwu Okonkwo (25). They are sons of Prince
Emmanuel Okonkwo; younger brother of the traditional ruler of Community,
His Royal Highness, Igwe Lawrence Nwafor Okonkwo. Prince Nzubechukwu Okonkwo
was shot by soldiers in two sides of his stomach and was rushed alongside
others, by sympathizers to the Multicare Hospital in Omagba
Phase 11, Nkpor in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State.
While they were being attended to in
the Hospital, the atrocious soldiers stormed the Hospital at 10:08pm and
bundled all of them numbering 22 away including some sympathizers and relatives
assisting them. They were taken to the Onitsha Military Cantonment, which is a
stone’s throw from the Hospital. The soldiers returned late night with five
critically injured ones, who were at the point of death and ordered the
director of the Hospital to continue their treatments and not to allow any of
them to leave the Hospital. The Hospital director was further ordered to
routinely update the Commander of the Cantonment, Col Issah Abdullahi (08053862233).
Among those abducted and still hold hostage at the Onitsha Military Cantonment
are those that sustained leg and arms injuries from the lethal military
gunshots. Till date, the state of their injuries has not been ascertained.
Among the sympathizers and relatives of the shot citizens bundled to Onitsha
Military Barracks is the elder brother of Prince Nzubechukwu Okonkwo
(07019375418); Prince Ogechukwu Okonkwo (08123992263). The 17 citizens
taken hostage and seized at the Onitsha Army Barracks on Thursday under the
directive of Col Issah Abdullahi are yet to be freed.
Names of the five citizens
undergoing treatment at the Multicare Hospital, critically
wounded by soldiers, are Prince Nzubechukwu Okonkwo, Chinonso Nwele,
Debeluchi Chukwu, Chigozie Nweke and Chinonso. Prince Nzubechukwu Okonkwo’s
twin brother’s name is Prince Okechukwu Okonkwo (0813303031). Among 17
citizens (injured and relatives) that are still held hostage at Army Barracks
by the soldiers of the Onitsha Military Cantonment are Amaechi Alo,
Ejike Jideofor, Onyema Ikeagwu, Emeka Nwaoba, Emeka Eneje, Felix Okeke, Prince
Ogechukwu Okonkwo, etc.
Condoning Attitudes of Government of
Anambra State: The statement below issued on
behalf of Governor Willie Obiano by Mr. Ifeanyi Aniagoh (SA, Social Media) is
the reaction of the Government over the soldiers’ dastardly act and related
recent killings:
“Disclaimer - Circulation
of Fake Pictures about Onitsha, Anambra State.Our attention has been drawn to
online activities of some masked identities who circulate foreign images of
dead persons claiming that they are photos taken from Onitsha, Anambra State.
It's clear that some mischievous elements are out to turn facts upside down
with respect to happenings in the State. A state adjudged by all and sundry as
the safest State in Nigeria which has enjoyed a very peaceful atmosphere since
the Chief Willie Obiano took over as the governor... A feat much cherished by
the young and old in the Light of the Nation. It's thus laughable to hear some
agents of misfortune insinuating unimaginable things about the unfortunate
deaths recorded in Onitsha in recent times. Those images and stories behind
them are not from Anambra State and thus are false, misleading and mischievous.
We urge Ndi Anambra to ignore such ignoble acts and carry on with their
legitimate plans to enjoy a beautiful Yuletide Season. Ifeanyi ANIAGOH
SSA Social Media”.
SSA Social Media”.
While we will not waste our time and
energy, responding to the Government’s infantile remarks, description of
pictures of citizens brutally murdered and lacerated by murderous security
forces particularly the soldiers of the Onitsha Cantonment; as “fake and
foreign pictures”, is a clear case of aiding and abetting
of the official butcheries that enveloped the State in recent times. The same
State Government that now labels pictures of the murdered and the
lacerated as “fake and foreign”; contradictorily
acknowledged in its statement of “the unfortunate deaths recorded in the
State in recent times”; yet the pictures are fake and foreign.
Washing and drinking the blood of the innocent is the worst undoing of
any civilian government.
We had expected the Government of
Anambra State, under Governor Willie Obiano to act swiftly by directing the
ethnically biased and lopsided Onitsha Military Cantonment under Col Issah
Abdullahi to stop shooting and murdering innocent and defenseless citizens of
the State at no iota of provocation. Onitsha and Southeast are not battle
fields. Running away from rag tag Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast, only
to storm the Southeast with retreating AK-47 loaded riffles and turn them
against innocent Igbo citizens; with the host Government doing nothing; is
nothing but coordinated mass murder. Sadly, this is the same
Government elected by people of the State for the purpose of ensuring
their security & welfare at all times, in accordance with
Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.
Till date, there are credible
independent sources showing that the Government of Chief Willie Obiano has
reached out to any of those lying critically injured in various hospitals in
the State; following deadly onslaughts visited upon them by the State’s
murderous security forces; in the course of exercising their constitutional
rights to peaceful assembly, association, movement, personal liberty and
expression. This is not to talk of those brutally murdered on 2nd
and 17th December 2015 by the State Government’s Joint
Military Taskforce. In these calamitous situations, the Obiano
administration has refused to do that expected of it as the chief custodian of
public security and morality of the State. No police officer or soldier or navy
officer involved in the killings and shootings has been identified and punished
till date. No meaningful investigation has been carried out by the State
Government; Anambra roads and streets are still flooded with general duties and
mobile police officers as well as soldiers with their stock in trade being
extortion, vehicular impoundment, shooting and maiming of innocent passerby at
no iota of provocation or breach of law. The Onitsha Military Cantonment
Commander, whose hatred of Igbo people is steadily manifested in ignoble and
murderous conducts of his officers under his watch and directive; is still
going about unpunished; likewise CP Hosea Karma and the Governor is busy
watching.
As if these were not enough,
Governor Obiano, who was democratically elected through constitutional rights
to association, assembly, movement and expression; now directs
security forces in the State to arrest and prosecute any citizen engaging
in unlawful assembly. And one of the results of his “unlawful assembly”
ban directive was the mass killing and maiming of innocent citizens peacefully
jubilating and saluting the Ojukwu Statute on Thursday, 17th
December 2015 at the Onitsha Niger Bridgehead. As we write, five citizens are
lying critically wounded at the Multicare Hospital, receiving
little or no medical attention owing to lack of funds required to give them
adequate treatment. At the Onitsha Barracks, those that sustained other degrees
of gunshot injuries are still held hostage without adequate treatment; yet the
“Government of Anambra State has reached out to the families of those
killed and wounded in the State during the peaceful protests that were hijacked
by hoodlums”.
If a democratically elected State
Government can come out boldly and shamelessly to describe pictures of the
victims of State sanctioned broad day mass murder and maiming as “fake and foreign”,
in this ICT age; then, there is not only a sinister motive for official cover
up; but also the souls of the murdered have been hardened to torment the State
without ceasing and generationally. It also shows that such Government has no
respect for the dead and value for human lives. Political lies and falsehoods
must not be extended to the sanctity of human lives and respect for the dead.
Apart from rampaging and atrocious
killing and maiming of innocent members of the public in Anambra State, judicial
torture is also rampant. Scores of innocent citizens who took part in the pro
Biafran peaceful protests across the State since 30th August 2015;
are languishing in prisons in the State without trial. They were arrested and
detained at various police formations across the State and moved to prisons
under “Holden Charge”. For instance, Citizens Ogbonna Ihejirika, Pastor Ike
God, Mr. Tochukwu, Achike Umunna, Dike Joseph and Gabriel Tiger were arrested
by the State Police Command since 13th November 2015 along Owerri
Road in Onitsha, during one of the recent peaceful protests for the release of
Citizen Nnamdi Kanu; detained at the State CID, Awka for six days and moved to
the Nnewi Area Command; from where they were moved to the Nnewi Prison. Thirteen of those arrested in Abuja recently were
discharged on 17th December 2015. But in Anambra State,
indiscriminate arrests and labeling of those arrested as “IPOB” or “MASSOB”
members, are ceaselessly on increase.
Finally, we call on the Government
of Anambra State and the Commander of the Onitsha Military Cantonment (Col
Issah Abdullahi) to disclose the shallow grave(s) where they buried the said
eight citizens murdered by soldiers in broad day light. Those being held
hostage at the Onitsha Barracks must also be freed. All the corpses of
those murdered in the State on 2nd and 17th December 2015
as well as on 30th August 2015, must be located, identified and
given befitting burials with adequate monetary compensations paid to their
immediate families. The medical expenses and hospital bills of those lying
critically wounded in various hospitals across the State must be picked up by
the Government of Anambra State as well as ensuring that they are given
adequate medical treatments. The Federal Government must remove Col Issah
Abdullahi, Commander of the Onitsha Military Cantonment, from Anambra State and
ensure that soldiers that perpetrated the heinous acts including Col Issah
Abdullahi are dismissed from the Nigerian Army and tried for murder.
Attached are the pictures of two
members of the Ichi Royal Family (Princes Nzubechukwu Okonkwo (gunshot victim)
and Ogechukwu Okonkwo) still held hostage by the Commander of the Onitsha
Military Cantonment (Col Issah Abdullahi). The third picture is that of Prince
Nzubechukwu Okonkwo with his twin brother; Prince Okechukwu Okonkwo.
Fourth picture is their parents, Prince and Princess Emma Okonkwo and the fifth
picture is their uncle and traditional ruler of Ichi Community, Igwe Lawrence
Nwafor Okonkwo
Signed:
Emeka
Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman
International
Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
+2348174090052
Uzochukwu
Oguejiofor-Nwonu, Esq., Head, Campaign & Publicity Department of
Intersociety
Obianuju
Igboeli, Esq., Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program of Intersociety
Comrade
Aloysius Attah, Chairman, Anambra State Branch of CLO
Justus
Ijeoma, Esq., Legal Secretary, Anambra State Branch of CLO
Comrade
Chibueze Nwajiaku, Secretary, Anambra State Branch of CLO
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