 |
| Buhari |
First of all, we congratulate the
newly emerged democratic forces and voices in Nigeria; which emergence followed
the birth eight months ago of the chained democratic administration of
President Muhammadu Buhari. Those worthy to mention are the frontline
online media organizations including: chidi opara reports, the
Nigerian Voice, the Newsepress, Globalreportersvienna, Elombah News, the Trent
News Online, Odogwureports, the Nigerian Masterweb, Allnewsandreports,
News247, Republicreporters, Igberenews, the Nigerianlawyers Online News,
Factreporters, Oderareports, the Willnigeria, the US-African Dialogue,
Biafran News Reports, the Radio Biafra London (RBL); and the
Streetreporters, the Naija News, the Naijalnd News, etc.
Our congratulation also goes to the
Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and those who use them in Nigeria to advance the
promotion and protection of democracy, rule of law and constitutionalism in the
country. Also congratulated are the Galaxy TV, the Vanguard Newspaper, the
Guardian Newspaper, the Thisday Newspaper and rising democratic voices like
Barr Ms Carol Ajie, Ms Aziza Uko, the Odumakins, etc as well as Nigeria’s
newest leading human rights and pro rule of law advocacy organizations
particularly HURIWA, Intersociety, Anambra CLO and Southeast
Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations. We congratulate as well
the legal team of Citizen Nnamdi Kanu particularly the duo of Ifeanyi Ejiofor,
Esq., and a respected member of the Silk: Nze Chuks Muoma, SAN. Barristers
Egechukwu Obetta and Egbule are also commended for their courage and boldness;
likewise the national leadership of the NBA for its recent commendable public
position against Buhari’s gross contempt for rule of law in Nigeria. Courageous
and un-purchasable members of the Bench including the CJN deserve commendation
and a call to do more to ensure that judiciary remains the last hope of
common person and bastion of democracy in Nigeria.
The recipients of our informed
commendation above represent new faces of the defenders of democracy,
rule of law and constitutionalism in Nigeria. They have by their recent
identification with rule of law and constitutionalism in Nigeria unstoppably
matched into the vacuum created by now retired democratic forces of the
Southwest domination; who have disastrously chosen the path of entrepreneurship
of dictatorship, lawlessness and un-constitutionalism in Nigeria; pillared
by the administration of Muhammadu Buhari. The new faces of the defenders
of democracy, rule of law and constitutionalism in Nigeria shall also
become foundational members of newly formed Nigerian Pacifism Movement; a
think tank opposing State violence (other than use for legitimate
security and crime control), lawlessness, abuse of office and
un-constitutionalism.
The reasons behind the above
informed commendation of ours stem from achievements recorded so far in their
struggles to save Nigeria’s democracy, human rights, rule of law and
constitutionalism. One of such achievements is the campaign for unconditional
release or fair treatment and trial of Citizen Nnamdi Kanu & ors leading to
latest judicial pronouncement transferring him to Kuje prison from his
murderous and tortuous 96 days detention under DSS captivity; a judicial
decision the DSS frustratingly obeyed on account of sustained local and
international pressures mounted against it as the most lawless security
agency in Nigeria by referenced new faces of the defenders of
rule of law and constitutionalism in Nigeria.
We wish to call on these new
faces of the defenders of human rights, rule of law and constitutionalism in
Nigeria not to rest on their oars because the battle has just begun. As
new faces of the defenders of democracy, rule of law and constitutionalism in
Nigeria, we must at all times remember and arm ourselves with Gani Fawehimni’s three
weapons against dictatorship and other social injustices, which are: knowledge
of the law, facts and figures and consistency. As the immortal saying
goes; “a drop of water makes hole in stone; not by violence but by often
fall”.
Violent Suppression of Nonviolent
Protests in Nigeria:
Documented statistics available at our disposal clearly indicate that massive
application of State violence outside local and international norms to
violently suppress the pro Biafran nonviolent protests in Nigeria between 30th
August 2015 and 18th January 2016; a period of less than five
months, have led to gruesome murder by security forces of at least 50 Nigerian
citizens. These included four citizens killed in Awka and Onitsha on 30th
August 2015; 13 killed in Onitsha on 2nd December 2015; 12 killed in
Onitsha on 17th December 2015 (eight were killed on the spot and
four others died in hospital following gunshot wounds); and eight killed in Aba
on 18th January 2016. Scores of innocent citizens have also
disappeared in the hands of Nigerian security forces particularly the Nigerian
Army and the Nigeria Police Force. Citizens are routinely arrested by Police on
allegation of being “MASSOB or IPOB members” and killed secretly and buried in
undisclosed shallow graves; likewise those shot and killed by soldiers and
police while embarking on peaceful protests. Once their bodies are taken away
by their killer security operatives, they will never be accounted for or
released to their families for befitting burials.
Further, over 120 citizens were shot
and critically injured with gunshots in Delta, Rivers, Anambra, Abia and Enugu
States between 30th August 2015 and 18th January 2016. Of
these, over 40 citizens were critically shot and injured in Anambra (30th
August, 2nd and 17th December 2015); 30 in Abia State (18th
January 2016 alone), 21 in Rivers State (30th August 2015); 10 in
Delta State (30th August 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.
Among those critically shot and
injured in Rivers by Nigerian Army and the Police including their mobile lines
are Citizens Sunday Udegbe (08160946188), Nwabunne Udo (no number), Agwasi
Anthony (08167834881), Meshach Emmanuel (08176464439), Chinwendu Ogbonna
(08161840331),Amanda Onyekachi (08098649766), Emmanuel Arinze (08069667733),
Okwudiri Ojah (08064551694), Chibuike David (08162879531),Uzochi Ugwojialili
(07037701738); Chukwuma Igwe (07038524167), Kingsley Okere (08095527180),
Chinedu Solomon Iwu (09034451844), Okon Emmanuel Udo (08132211725),
Kelechi Uwaeze (08162093292), Uwalaka (07030463326), Solomon Chikwe
(08037677503), Ikenna Ezekwem (07030334626), Ubani (08145558128),
Amarachi Onyemachi (07031250438) and Chukwudi Ofoegbuliwe (08168944577). In
Enugu State, the following were critically shot and injured, Mr. Godswill
Ojikeme (08069283046), Mrs. Chinyere Godswill Ojikeme (08108156453),
Ogbodo Monday (08186845441), Jonah Kelechi (07055762590), Onuigbo Paul
(08180094127) and Obiorah Innocent (08142553818).
Those gravely shot and wounded in
Delta State are: Chinedu Abel (08138655496), Onovo Michael (09038654579),
Kingsley Anuife (07066333801), Amechi Ojieh (07069039930), Ogbonna Kanayo
(09099221978), David Ogbu (08168868302), Charles Chukwuka (07011001409),
Elochukwu Uzor (08052783369), Chinedu Chukwuma (09053081522) and Onyekanna
Ifechukwude (08144142575).
Those critically shot and injured on 30th
August 2015 in Anambra State are: Sampson Kalu (08149301083), Chidiebere Nnaji
(08063110151), Onyekwelu Ovute (08035132025), Felix Ndianaefo (08137358206),
Ikechukwu Okafor (08098896344), Chimaobi Okafor (09099735103), Christopher
Oforah (08092188866), Sunday Nwazugbo (08033517008), Stanley Eze (08060911589),
Mrs. Eucharia (08065697342) and Mrs. Patricia (07069707424). Two of the four
citizens killed in Awka and Onitsha in the same peaceful protest of 30th
August 2015 were Ebuka Nnolum from Enuguabo-Ufuma in Anambra State (his
father’s number is 08034615426 07084367400) and Obasi Maduka from
Oshiri in Ebonyi State (his brother’s number is 08165443726). In the 2nd
and 17th December 2015 peaceful protests in Onitsha, over 30
citizens were critically shot and injured, out of whom, 27 citizens were taken
and admitted at the Multicare Hospital.
Between 300 and 400 citizens or more
labeled “Biafran or IPOB or MASSOB members” had also been arrested, detained,
tortured, or killed extra judicially across the country since 30th
of August 2015. In the Aba pro Biafran peaceful protest of 18th
January 2016 alone, 60 peaceful protesters were arrested and detained. Many are
still languishing in pretrial detention; others are facing concocted heinous
political crimes charges such as treason and treasonable felony.
Why Buhari Must Heed EU’s Advice: In the world over, violent suppression of nonviolent
protests by territorial governments have always boomeranged; leading the
suppressed to abandon nonviolent approaches and resort to self help or self
defense approaches including defensive armed rebellions. Most of
the ongoing devastating intra State violent conflicts in Africa and the Middle
East primarily started as nonviolent socio-political or ethno-cultural
campaigns, but turned violent on account of the host States’ repressive and
dictatorial responses. A newest case in point is seeming resumption of oil
violence in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria.
Consequently, the latest advice
handed down to the Government of Muhammadu Buhari by the European Union High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Ms Federica Mogherini, is a
welcome development, timely and internationally grounded. The EU High
Representative had advised Buhari that in as much as, the European Union
has strong diplomatic and economic ties with Nigeria, “protection of human
rights and fundamental freedoms remains a priority for the EU and we encourage
the authorities (Nigeria) in every occasion to respect such rights”. The
EU, on the other hand, advised pro Biafran campaigners and the Organization of
Emerging African States (OEAS) “that self-determination and border
changes must be in accordance with established international law. This
followed the OEAS call for an internationally recognized referendum on
Biafra independence or autonomy. The EU further advised that “it
will only recognize a Biafra born via international law and not (through) armed
secession (or rebellion)”.
The EU’s advice is totally in
agreement with our public position on the same issue, to the effect that the
Buhari administration must refrain from massive deployment of State violence
and use of dark side of the laws of the land as well as levying of political,
economic, social, ethnic and cultural wars against members of the Nigeria’s
Igbo and other Southern nationalities. We had also advised the pro Biafran
agitators to at all time stick to nonviolent and peaceful approaches and stay
away from resorting to violence or armed rebellion. To the best of our
knowledge, the agitations and their campaigners have remained nonviolent till
date; as opposed to the Buhari administration which had applied and still apply
maximum and dreaded State terror in handling the political self determination
campaigns.
Signed:
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman
International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of
Law
Mobile Phone: +2348174090052
Website: www.intersociety-ng.org
Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq., Head, Civil Liberties & Rule
of Law Program
Uzochukwu Oguejiofor-Nwonu, Esq., Head, Campaign &
Publicity Department
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please restrict your comment to the subject matter.