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| IGP Solomon Arase |
The leaderships of the Southeast based Coalition
of Human Rights Organizations; comprising the International Society
for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety), Anambra State Branch
of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), the Center for Human Rights &
Peace Advocacy (CHRPA), Human Rights Club(HRC) (a project of LRRDC), Southeast
Good Governance Forum (SGGF), Forum for Equity, Justice & Defense of Human
Rights (FEJDHR), Society Advocacy Watch Project (SPAW), Anambra Human Rights
Forum (AHRF), the International Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights
Initiative (INTERSOLIDARITY) and the Street Law Africa (LawAfrica) are
alarmed, shocked and dismayed over the killing on Wednesday (2nd
December 2015) of peaceful and non violent protesters in various parts of
Onitsha particularly along the Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s Gateway at
Onitsha Niger Bridge and the Obodoukwu Road in Ogbaru LGA of Anambra State;
which led to the death of at least ten (10) innocent members of the public and
injuring of scores of others.
While
six peaceful protesters/picketers were killed at the Ojukwu Gateway
(Niger Bridgehead) by soldiers, four others including a
mai suya (hit by a stray bullet) were killed by SARS and Mobile Police
squads along Obodoukwu Road in the nearby Ogbaru Local Government Area. Among
the ten peaceful protesters violently killed by members of Governor Willie
Obiano’s Joint Security Taskforce was late Miss Anthonia Nkiruka
Ikeanyionwu; 21years old student of the Federal College of Education, Technical
in Umunze, Orumba South LGA of Anambra State. She hailed from Adazi-Nnukwu in
Anambra State. Another person was earlier shot and killed by soldiers at the Gateway
in the night of 1st December 2015 after a brief interrogation. He
was an Igbo driver of a long truck parked in support of the vigil/picketing. He
was dragged down from his steering, briefly interrogated and shot dead.
We
wish to recall that tens of thousands of peaceful protesters coordinated by the
leaderships of two self determination pressure groups: the Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB) and a splinter body of the Movement for Actualization
of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), led by Comrade Uchenna Madu
had on Tuesday,1st December 2015, converged at the Niger Bridgehead
(Ojukwu Gateway) in Onitsha for a three day peaceful
vigil/picketing to press for the unconditional release of director of the Radio
Biafra London (RBL) and head of the IPOB, Citizen Nnamdi Kanu, who has
been held extra judicially and unconstitutionally by the DSS since 14th
October 2015.
The
Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Gateway made up of the Onitsha Niger Bridgehead and the Onitsha
Upper Iweka axis is considered a freedom square by teaming and
ardent followers, supporters and students of late Dim Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu-Ojukwu and had in recent time served as a square for free speech.
The federal approval for renaming of the area after late Dim Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu-Ojukwu, was secured by former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra
State in 2012 leading to its commissioning with the erected statue of Dim
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu by former President Goodluck Jonathan
on 30th August 2012.
The
teeming supporters of the two self determination agitation groups
had peacefully observed their vigil/picketing without molesting anybody except
blockage of the Gateway for hours to pressurize the Buhari
administration to release their leader. The vigil drew overwhelming sympathies
and supports leading to other members of the public donating and sending
cartons of bottled water, gala and short breads as well as foods to them. The
vigil/picketing remained peaceful and lasted from Tuesday, 1st
December to around noon of Wednesday 2nd December 2015 when Governor
Willie Obiano directed members of his Joint Security Taskforce
made up of soldiers, mobile police, navy, SARS and civil defense corps to storm
the Gateway and forcefully disperse the peaceful picketers and
clear them off the Gateway. Governor Obiano’s militarist directive
was further reinforced by another militarist order of the embattled
Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase; who ordered his sub commanders
in the Southeast and the South-south zones, composed of senior police officers
of northern origin; to “maximally” (excessive force/shoot-at-sight)
clamp down on the peaceful protesters.
It
is in total compliance of Governor Willie Obiano and IGP Arase’s militarist
orders that the Joint Security Taskforce particularly the
soldiers of the Onitsha Military Cantonment stormed the Gateway
with riffles loaded with live- bullets and opened fire on innocent and peaceful
protesters. Some of those killed were shot and killed at close range. One of
them is late Miss Anthonia Nkiruka Ikeanyionwu. Pictures of those lying
critically injured in various private hospitals in Onitsha and its environs
clearly showed how they were shot in various terminal parts of their bodies
including chest, abdomen, lung, neck and head parts of their bodies. Some
of the shot victims may not survive the wounds. The reckless shooting and
killing of the unarmed picketers later resulted to civil disturbances including
burning of tyres and blockage of intercity roads, etc.
We
had in our joint statement of 13th November 2015 raised an alarm following
lethal warning issued by the Nigerian Army against those protesting peacefully
for the release of Citizen Nnamdi Kanu and assertion of their right to self
determination. Our alarm followed age-long gross unprofessionalism inherent in
management of the country’s military-civilian relationship particularly as it
concerns crowd control and allowing members of the public to peacefully and
nonviolently press home their grievances against the government and its
policies; through universally approved methods such as picketing, vigil,
procession or protest. We had in the same joint statement exposed the
desperation of elements loyal to the Buhari administration to possibly plant
hired elements through some amenable State Governors among the peaceful protesters
so as to make such processions or peaceful protests turn or wear violent
outlook for the purpose of hiding under same to crush and mass kill
them. We also suspected deeply desperate plans or moves by the elements loyal
to the Buhari administration to rope in Citizen Nnamdi Kanu through implanted
felonies. This can come in the form of planting and commission of
sinister acts for the purpose of heaping the criminal culpability on Citizen
Nnamdi Kanu.
This
is more so when it is now clear to every Tom, Dick and Harry that
the Buhari administration through its DSS has no indictable and
convictable evidence to try Citizen Nnamdi Kanu both in its prosecutorial
charge of criminal intimidation, managing and belonging to
unlawful society and criminal conspiracy and its investigatory accusation
of involvement in terrorism and terrorism financing.
It sounds legally and prosecutorially laughable that a man
campaigning for his group’s right to political self determination in far away
United Kingdom, came to Nigeria through its southern border, governed by the
Criminal Code (applicable in southern Nigeria) and got arrested in the south
and taken to the north governed by the Penal Code (applicable in northern
Nigeria) and charged for offenses contained in the criminal law (penal code) of
the north. We see it as a height of trial by gambling or ordeal
or trumped up charge.
The
case of late Ken Saro Wiwa is still fresh in our memories. For want of indictable
and convictable evidence, the Federal Government of Nigeria under the
Abacha’s infamous military regime used “strawmen” to cause implanted
felony of murder and related others and politically nailed the late
Saro Wiwa and his associates. One of disrespected members of the Bench,
called “Judge Auta” was ferried from the Bench to judicially cement
their State murder, which was carried out in November 1995.
Today, the like of Shell is yet to recover from its infamous corporate roles in
the State murder. We shall not be surprised if such sore and sad history
repeats itself in the case of Citizen Nnamdi Kanu. This is because the reign
of State terror that was the order of the day then, is fully back in
the present administration.
In
all these, the dastardly role of the embattled Inspector General of Police, Mr.
Solomon Arase is not surprising to our Coalition. His
resort to use of blood of the innocent and peaceful protesters to save his
embattled office is not surprising to our Coalition as well. Intersociety
had recently stated clearly that the emergence of a dictator or a
tyrant under civilian democracy automatically leads to conversion and
conformity of all State institutions and their headships according to the
dictator’s whims and caprices. Any institution and its headship that
refuses to be dictatorially shackled and manacled by the dictator, is
automatically kicked out.
We
are compelled to hold that IGP Arase does not mind killing vicariously
hundreds, if not thousands of peaceful and non violent protesters or picketers
of the Southeast Nigeria so as to save his embattled job. Having not been
appointed by his new general overseer (President Muhammadu Buhari),
we sympathize with IGP Arase over his stiff battles to save his job and be
re-baptized Buhari Boy; but using vicariously the blood of
innocent and peaceful picketers at the highly revered and idolized Ojukwu
Gateway to achieve this sole ambition of his; amounts to turning
himself vicariously into a merchant of death and human misery.
It
is also sad and shocking that when other Nigeria’s security chiefs like the
Chief of Army Staff and Air Force and Defense Staff chiefs are busy visiting
the insurgency war fronts in the Northeast, IGP Arase is busy visiting a
federal minister of interior and threatening and ordering mass killing of innocent
and peaceful self determination protesters and picketers. The Nigeria Police
Force under IGP Solomon Arase has for long woefully and shamefully abandoned
its constitutional duties of management of internal security; a strategic
police function now virtually left in the hands of other members of the armed
forces; whose roles in internal security management in Nigeria are
constitutionally and statutorily supplementary. Despite being the largest
officially armed body in Nigeria cornering over 30% of defense budgets every
year, the NPF under IGP Arase has shamelessly failed Nigerians and continued to
fail till date. If the Nigeria Police Force cannot control peaceful and non
violent picketers without mass-killing them, is it the rampaging Boko Haram insurgents
that it can control?
It
is sad and shocking too that Nigeria of 21st century under a Police
IG with double university masters degrees still applies excessive or lethal
force to control or disperse non violent and peaceful protesters and picketers.
Storming picketing scenes with live bullets and guns and opening fire on
defenseless protesters are a height of policing crudity under the headship of
an educated illiterate IGP. By using the phrase “maximal
clamp down on protesters” that literally means “shoot-at-sight”, Mr.
Solomon Arase is unfit to continue as Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police.
Despite the existence in the NPF of “the anti-riot police department” or
“Mobile Police Force”, the latest mass murder has extensively exposed the Force
as the Police Force of the Yore and incurable crudity.
For
the avoidance of doubt, there are various techniques and tools designed
globally for crowd control or riot control as case may be; without resorting to
use of deadly weapons, force or violence. Older tools or gadgets for crowd or
riot control are batons and whips; which are still in use
till date. Other modern crowd control tools or gadgets are tear
gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and electric tasers. There are also long
acoustic devices, water cannons, armored personnel carriers, armored vehicles
equipped with tear gas and mild hot water sprayers, aerial surveillance, police
dogs, police horses, etc. Also part of the modern crowd control
toolkits are protective devices such as riot helmets, face visors, body
armor (vests, neck protectors, knee pads, etc) and gas masks and riot shields. A
number of electronic security devices have also been designed for
modern crowd control. They include closed circuit television, tracking
and detective devices, etc. It is sad to observe that in the instant
case, none of the forgoing was deployed and used. Instead, live ammunitions and
open and close range shootings were “maximally applied” in accordance with IGP
Arase’s murderous directive.
As
for Governor Willie Obiano, his role in the bloody incident, which he confirmed
and justified in his late night public broadcast; is not surprising to our Coalition.
He has moved further from a report of encouraging mobilization of mushroom and
leprous groups for the purpose of disassociation of the People of
the Southeast from the legitimate, peaceful and non violent agitation for
political self determination, to mobilization of his Joint Security
Taskforce to mow down innocent picketers and protesters for no just
cause. We have also read his executive statement and found in same an element
of confirmation of our earlier disclosure of desperation of some elements
loyal to the Buhari administration to implant felonies within the ranks of IPOB
protesters so as to rope in Citizen Nnamdi Kanu and made the peaceful
and non violent protests to turn violent and bloody.
By
the Governor’s assertion to the effect that among those killed in the
protest were two police sergeants; we are still at loss as where, when
and how the police sergeants were killed. We call on the Governor
to publicly update and furnish Nigerians with concrete information regarding whether
the “two police sergeants” were killed by gun shots, clubbing, fists, burning
or lynching as well as who killed them, why they were killed and hospitals or
mortuaries where their bodies were deposited.
We
also demand to know where and when they were killed as well as their
photos and station(s) where they are attached to and their
service particularly or identities. Failure of His Excellency, Governor
Willie Obiano to furnish the public with the concrete information under
demand in time of the white law and immediacy will
expressly lend credence to our strong suspicion of some elements within the
Buhari administration’s desperation to implant violence into the non violent
agitation so as to use it as an excuse to let loose in its use of deadly force
against the non violent agitators as well as procurement of concocted evidence
and compromised witnesses to get Citizen Nnamdi Kanu rot in jail at all
costs and possibly exterminated in extra penal custody.
In
all, we are not only demanding for immediate resignation of the embattled
Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase for his murderous shoot-at-sight
order and vicarious roles in the Onitsha Killings,
but it is also important to inform that the Nigeria Police Force under him is
already under the jurisdictional watch of the International Criminal Court as
compilation and computation of cases of all police and military related extra
judicial killings in the country are steadily in progress. For failing to
heed our warning of 13th November 2015, we will be glad to ensure
that IGP Arase and his named sub commanders are handcuffed and flown to The
Hague soon for the purpose of making them to face international trial for crimes
against humanity.
On
the other hand, we call on the IPOB and its teeming followers to remain
peaceful, non violent and law abiding at all times, not minding the State
violence recently visited unleashed on them. They must also watch their back
and be extremely vigilant so as to ward off sustained efforts of some
commissioned elements within the Federal Government particularly its security
establishments and stooges within the Southeast Governors Forum to implant
elements of violence in their agitations so as to destroy their globally
approved method of non violence and peaceful means and cash in on same for the
purpose of deploying and applying deadly force or violence to further kill them
in thousands and rope in Citizen Nnamdi Kanu on other trumped up charges or
sustenance of its current trumped up charge of terrorism and terrorism
financing.
The
leadership of the IPOB is reminded again that our collective advocacy support
to it will be withdrawn once it is discovered concretely that it has abandoned
its peaceful and non violence methods. In organizing its future peaceful and
non violent processions, protests or picketing at any public place such as
along Ojukwu Gateway, efforts must be made to
lessen social hardships that may incur by road users; by not blocking main
lanes of the Expressway. Such non violent processions, protests or picketing
should also be organized periodically and not repeatedly. The Nigerian security
forces particularly the Army and the NPF must stop using deadly force or
violence to control peaceful and non violent processions, protests or
picketing. Modern methods and toolkits of crowd control highlighted above must
be learned, procured and applied to the letter henceforth. Those who
participated in the Onitsha Killings particularly members of the
Onitsha Military Cantonment, the Ogbaru Navy outpost, Mobile Police personnel
and the SARS must be fished out, dismissed, tried and jailed for unlawful
killings and related unprofessional conducts.
Finally,
we are not unaware of reckless accusations, invitations and harassments of some
leading citizens of the Southeast zone by the country’s secret and open police
establishments whereby they are accused of “sponsoring our Coalition”.
It baffles our Coalition to note the steady decay of the
country’s intelligence establishments and other securitization agencies to the
extent that they now see critical and constructive advocacy positions being
taken by our credible and independent rights based Civil Society Organizations
in this era of global village or computerization; for the purpose of collective
interest and development of Nigeria and Nigerians, as “being sponsored or
financed” by politicians. We are not surprised at this
sad development. This is because we are in a country headed by a presidency
that does anything to suppress merit and impeccability of character. A
government that stenches in bribery, corruption, nepotism, favoritism and
primordialism will always hold a view that everything is for sale; more
so when billions of naira of the tax payers funds were recently deployed to
hire and compromise mushroom, faceless and conscienceless groups and
individuals to disassociate themselves and the people of the Southeast from the
Zone’s agitation for legitimate political self determination.
As
we write, the website of our lead-partner; International Society for
Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law was attacked and shut down
penultimate Monday. It has remained shut till date. The site administrator when
reached disclosed receiving a couple of emails from some suspected elements
within the country’s intelligence establishments querying the rationale
behind Intersociety’s advocacy campaign for the release of Citizen Nnamdi Kanu.
We wish to publicly disclose to the DSS and the NPF that the sponsors
of our researches and publications are cheapness and ease
of internet or World Wide Web; and free of charge publication of our reports
and publications by our ardent friends in the online and print media operating
locally and internationally. The DSS and the NPF are also free to reach out to
them and ask them how much we pay them to publish our press materials. We
collectively resolute and firm! It is Aluta Continua!!
Victoria Acerta!!!
We
pray the Almighty God to grant the immortal souls of the massacred innocent
citizens including late Miss Anthonia Nkiruka Ikeanyionwu, who died tragically
in the Onitsha Police/Military Killings; directed and vicariously
coordinated by Governor Willie Obiano and IGP Solomon Arase, a permanent peace
and resting place in His Heavenly abode. May the just and legitimate cause that
led to their brutal killing remains the candle of hope for the
enslaved, shackled and manacled citizens of Nigeria now and immortally!!!
Signed:
For:
Coalition of Southeast Based Human Rights Organizations (CSBHROs):
1.
Emeka
Umeagbalasi (+23474090052 (office)
For:
International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety)
2.
Comrade
Aloysius Attah (+2348035090548)
For:
Anambra State Branch of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO)
3.
Comrade
Peter Onyegiri (+2347036892777)
For:
Center for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy (CHRPA)
4. Comrade
Samuel Njoku (+2348039444628)
For:
Human Rights Club (a project of LRRDC)(HRC)
5. Justus
Uche Ijeoma, Esq.(+2348037114869)
For:
Forum for Justice, Equity & Defense of Human Rights (FJEDHR)
6. Comrade
Chike Umeh ( +2348064869601)
For:
Society Advocacy Watch Project (SPAW)
7.
Obianuju
Joy Igboeli, Esq. (+2348034186332)
For:
Anambra Human Rights Forum (AHRF)
8. Comrade
Alex Olisa(+2348034090410)
For:
Southeast Good Governance Forum (SGGF)
9. Jerry
Chukwuokolo, PhD (+2348035372962)
For:
International Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights Initiative
(ITERSOLIDARITY)
10. Evlyn Chinwe Eze, Esq.
(+2347019646494)
For:
Street Law Africa (LawAfrica)
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