BIAFRA: Amnesty Int’l, Nigerian Army in verbal war over killings

An international human rights organisation, Amnesty International, AI, and the Nigerian Army have disagreed over the alleged killing of over 150 pro-Biafra agitators.

The AI, on Wednesday, released a report detailing the alleged killings, saying the Nigerian security agencies led by the military, carried out the extra-judicial killing of at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters.

According to the group, it carried out investigation into the killings by reviewing 87 videos, 122 photographs, and the testimonies of 146 eyewitnesses in relation to the demonstrations and gatherings that took place between August 2015 and August 2016.

AI also said there are evidences that there were mass executions of about 60 persons by the military during Biafra Remembrance Day.

The Army has however denied the allegations, describing it as unfounded.

In a statement it issued, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col Sani Usman, said the insinuation that troops perpetrated the killing of defenceless agitators is untrue.

The AI said in its report: “This deadly repression of pro-Biafra activists is further stoking tensions in the South East of Nigeria. This reckless and trigger-happy approach to crowd control has caused at least 150 deaths and we fear the actual total might be far higher. The Nigerian government’s decision to send in the military to respond to pro-Biafra events seems to be in large part to blame for this excessive bloodshed. The authorities must immediately launch an impartial investigation and bring the perpetrators to book,” said Makmid Kamara, Interim Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

“By far, the largest number of pro-Biafra activists were killed on Biafra Remembrance Day on 30 May 2016 when an estimated 1,000 IPOB members and supporters gathered for a rally in Onitsha, Anambra State. The night before the rally, the security forces raided homes and a church where IPOB members were sleeping. On Remembrance Day itself, the security forces shot people in several locations. Amnesty International has not been able to verify the exact number of extrajudicial executions, but estimates that at least 60 people were killed and 70 injured in these two days. The real number is likely to be higher.

“Eyewitnesses and local human rights activists said that many of the protesters at Aba were rounded up and taken away by the military. On 13 February, 13 corpses, including those of men known to have been taken by the military were discovered in a pit near the Aba highway. It is chilling to see how these soldiers gunned down peaceful IPOB members. The video evidence shows that this was a military operation with intent to kill and injure”

Kamara alleged that there was “No action by authorities to ensure accountability”

According to Amnesty International, it is regrettable that despite the availability of overwhelming evidence to support the alleged human rights violations committed by the security forces, no investigation has been carried out.

“Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the government of Nigeria to initiate independent investigations into evidence of crimes under international law, and President Buhari has repeatedly promised that Amnesty International’s reports would be looked into. However, no concrete steps have been taken.”

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However, the Army, in its reaction said the claim by AI of mass killing of MASSOB/IPOB activists is unfounded.

The Army statement reads: “This is an outright attempt to tarnish the reputation of the security forces in general and the Nigerian Army in particular, for whatever inexplicable parochial reasons. For umpteenth times, the Nigerian Army has informed the public about the heinous intent of this Non-Governmental Organisation which is never relenting in dabbling into our national security in manners that obliterate objectivity, fairness and simple logic.

“The evidence of MASSOB/IPOB violent secessionist agitations is widely known across the national and international domains. Their modus operandi has continued to relish violence that threatens national security. Indeed, between August 2015 and August 2016, the groups’ violent protests have manifested unimaginable atrocities to unhinge the reign of peace, security and stability in several parts of the South East Nigeria.

“A number of persons from the settler communities that hailed from other parts of the country were selected for attack, killed and burnt. Such reign of hate, terror and ethno-religious controversies that portend grave consequences for national security have been averted severally through the responsiveness of the Nigerian Army and members of the security agencies.

“These security agencies are always targeted for attack by the MASSOB/IPOB instruments of barbarism and cruelty. For instance, in the protests of 30 – 31 May 2016, more than 5 personnel of the Nigeria Police were killed, while several soldiers were wounded, Nigeria Police vehicles were burnt down same as several others of the Nigerian Army that were vandalized.

“In the aftermath of the encounter that ensued between security agencies and MASSOB/IPOB militants, many of our troops sustained varying degrees of injury. In addition, the MASSOB/IPOB recurrent use of firearms, crude weapons as well as other cocktails such as acid and dynamites to cause mayhem remain a huge security threat across the region.

“In these circumstances, the Nigerian Army under its constitutional mandates for Military Aid to Civil Authority (MACA) and Military Aid to Civil Powers (MACP) has continued to act responsively in synergy with other security agencies to de-escalate the series of MASSOB/IPOB violent protests.

“Instructively, the military and other security agencies exercised maximum restraints despite the flurry of provocative and unjustifiable violence, which MASSOB/IPOB perpetrated. The adherence to Rules of Engagement by the military has been sacrosanct in all of these incidents.

“Therefore, it is rather unfortunate for the Amnesty International to allow itself to be lured into this cheap and unpopular venture that aims to discredit the undeniable professionalism as well as responsiveness of the Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles.”
By Timothy Enietan-Matthews….

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