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Amnesty Int’l warns IPOB, military ahead of Kanu’s parents’ burial

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Amnesty Int’l warns IPOB, military ahead of Kanu’s parents’ burial

Ahead of the burial of parents of leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, in Afara Ukwu, Abia State, on Friday, rights group, Amnesty International has urged security agencies and members of IPOB, to ensure peace during the funeral.

The call was made on Wednesday in a statement by Osai Ojigho, Country Director of Amnesty International in Nigeria, who pleaded with the military and members of IPOB to ensure there is no case of violence at the funeral of Kanu’s late parents.

According to Ojigho, law enforcement officers are within their rights to carry out their lawful duties, but the use of force should be proportional and strictly limited to those situations where it is absolutely necessary.

The statement read: “The Nigerian security forces must exercise restraint and prevent a repetition of the September 2017 events that left at least 20 people killed and some still missing when the military attempted to arrest Nnamdi Kanu in his home in Afara Ukwu.

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“While law enforcement officers are within their rights to carry out their lawful duties, the use of force should be proportional and strictly limited to those situations where it is absolutely necessary.

“Both IPOB supporters and security forces must at all times respect and protect human rights of all.

“Concerns about possible violence during the funeral must be addressed within the framework of human rights and the rule of law,” the statement by Amnesty International added.

The plea by the rights group comes after IPOB had sent out a threat message to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai.

The group stated that it would hunt down the children of Buratai, if the Army chief got himself involved in firing a shot during the burial of the parents’ of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Recall that Nnamdi Kanu had earlier on Saturday, during a broadcast on Radio Biafra, vowed that the children of the police commissioner in Abia State, Ene Okon would be hunted down and killed should police fire a shot during his father’s burial.

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