Report claims Nigerian Army killed, wounded 150 Biafra agitators during Python Dance 2

No less than 150 pro-Biafra activists were alleged massacred and wounded by the Nigerian Army during last year’s operation in the South East code named “Operation Python Dance 2”.

The claim was made by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety.

The group stated this when it released names of the 150 pro-Biafra activists allegedly massacred by the Nigerian Army.

The list of those killed include Ogochukwu Joseph Ogbah (Abia State), Henry Ogar Ogoyi (Cross River State), Chinedu Uwandu (Imo State), Kelechi Meshach Metu (Imo State), Onyeka Ujam (Enugu State), Celestine Aga (Enugu State), Odika Osime Chukwuma (Anambra State), Joseph Ifeanyichukwu Agbayisi (Anambra State), Blessing Adaku Odoemena (Abia State) and Imo Emele Uduma Okemini (Abia State).

Among those reported killed were Udoette Miracle Udofia (Akwa Ibom State), MaCois Palibor ( Bayelsa State), Ogbogu Okoro (Abia State), Chigozie Ikechukwu (Abia State), Ikenna Okorie (Abia State), Adiele Paul (Abia State), Ahamuefuna Austin Nnamdi (Imo State) and Kelvin Nnamdi Ikeme, a 25-yr-old trader allegedly shot dead by soldiers on 30th May 2018 along Uratta by Port Harcourt Road, Aba, after which his body was dragged miles away by killer soldiers from the spot where he was killed and later dumped inside a pit.

The names Intersociety gave as shot and injured include Kingsley Olisakwe, Chinedu Okeke, Nzube Elekwa, Peter Ohiagu, Wisdom Joseph, John Evans, Peter Chukwu Blessing, Chibuisi Obialo, Obinna Nwaobasi, Ginika Basil, Uche Ikechukwu, Odinaka Onyeka, Michael Solomon, Eje Friday, Onwuabuchi Alozie Uwa, Moses Okeke and Isaiah Mmaduabuchi.

In a statement signed by the board chairman of Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi and Head Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Obianuju Igboeli titled, “How the Nigerian Army massacred 150 pro-Biafra activists and hurriedly declared them terrorists so as to escape accountability,” the group accused the Defence Headquarters of the Nigerian Army of collaborating with soldiers in the South East to carry out the act.

Intersociety also claimed, that “Some bodies of those killed were forced to be buried in secret locations by their arrested colleagues who after burying their slain colleagues at gunpoint, got tied, blinded and shot dead within the secret locations where their slain colleagues were forcefully buried.”

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The statement read, “The Army massacre operation was carried out under the guise of “September 2017 Nigerian Army Python Dance 11 in Southeast Nigeria, executed by the Chief of Army Staff and backed by the Defence Headquarters.

“We had further informed statistically that the Army massacre took place in three locations of Afara-Ukwu in Umuahia with not less than 105 deaths; Isiala-Ngwa with not less than 20 deaths and Aba with not less than 25 deaths.

“While the massacre at Afara-Ukwu lasted for three hours, having started at about 3.26pm on 14th September 2017 and ended before 6.30pm same day; the Isiala-Ngwa killings majorly took place on 12th September 2017 at Isiala-Ngwa Military Checkpoint. The Aba Army shootings and killings took place between late night of 12th September and early hours to later morning of 13th September 2017 as well as on 14th September 2017.

“It was further discovered that not more than 15 per cent of the bodies of the slain were recovered and interred by their families, while the rest were picked by soldiers of the Nigerian Army and taken to undisclosed locations where they must have been buried in shallow and mass graves-a pattern that had been consistently used by the Army since August 2015 when the violent crackdown on unarmed and defenseless pro Biafra activists was launched by the present central Government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The manner and pattern of killing of eight unarmed pro Biafra activists whose lifeless bodies were found in one of the bushes in Umuahia days after the Afara-Ukwu Army massacre of 14th September 2017; clearly showed that some bodies of those killed at massacre arena were forced to be buried in secret locations by their arrested colleagues who, after burying their slain colleagues at gunpoint, got tied, blinded and shot dead within the secret locations where their slain colleagues were forcefully buried.

“The eight bodies found in one of the said bushes had their hands tied behind their back with marine rope and possibly blinded before being shot dead to erase traces of culpability or accountability of the culprit soldiers. Technically, it is an act of impossibility to tie or chain or rope a human body after he or she had been killed.

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“Owing to threats of invasion, violence, death or arrest, detention and torture by soldiers and police, Special anti Robbery Squad, SARS, operatives; most families and friends or associates of the slain are forced to keep perpetual mute over their ‘missing’ loved ones.

“These have also forced them into mourning the slain in acute silence, shock, frustration, anguish, sorrow and anger. Some of them willing to seek justice including open inquiries over the whereabouts of their loved ones are hampered by teething poverty level in the country.

“Totality of these has further resulted in untimely death of some of them while scores of others have become victims of traumatic disorder and post stress disorder”.

Intersociety said that it discovered during a recent investigation that “many of the children of the slain victims are either out of school or relocated to sub standard children’s schools. Some are barely fed with three meals per day.”

 

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