(Intersociety,
Onitsha Nigeria, 21st January 2016)-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 the
Nigerian Voice, the Newsepress, Globalreportersvienna, Elombah News, Chidiopara
Blog, 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
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