(Onitsha Nigeria, 1st of June 2016)-The Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations (SBCHROs); comprising: Anambra State Branch of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Center for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy (CHRPA), Human Rights Club (a project of LRRDC)(HRC), Forum for Justice, Equity & Defense of Human Rights (FJEDHR), Society Advocacy Watch Project (SPAW), Anambra Human Rights Forum (AHRF), Southeast Good Governance Forum (SGGF), International Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights Initiative (ITERSOLIDARITY) and Igbo Ekunie Initiative (pan Igbo rights advocacy group) are saddened and shocked concerning the International Igbo Heroes Day Massacre in various locations in Onitsha and its surrounding communities in Anambra State as well as Asaba in Delta State by the Nigerian Security Forces, dominated by soldiers, navy and police. We are further alarmed by unpardonable lies and wicked regime falsehood running riot in the public media from the direction of the authorities that carried out the massacre and perpetrated the crimes against humanity.
Further shocking
and saddening is that the massacre was presidentially ordered through proxy
directives and electronically monitored from the Aso Rock. The orders for the
massacre were, in turn, carried out by the following sub gubernatorial and
securitization authorities: Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State through his
Joint Security Taskforce, Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, Mr.
Hosea Karma, the Commander of the 302 Artillery, Nigerian Army, Onitsha and the
General Officer Commanding, 82nd Division of the Nigerian Army,
Enugu. Through the existing inter-State security arrangement between Anambra
and Delta States, the Delta State Police Command also participated in the
massacre by coordinating the Abraka-Asaba section of the massacre.
In other words, the massacre was carefully
planned and executed by the referenced authorities. The massacre can also best
be described as operation “shoot, kill, pick corpses and bury them beyond
detection”. For a clearer understanding, the Anambra State Joint Security
Taskforce is composed of the personnel of the Ogbaru Navy Post, Anambra State
Police Command, Onitsha Military Cantonment, DSS, NSCDC, Anambra Central
Vigilante Service, etc. It is chaired and sub-funded by Governor Willie Obiano
and operationally led CP Hosea Karma; assisted by the Commander of the Military
Cantonment. The latter’s immediate past Commander is Col Isah Abdullahi.
In the
referenced massacre operation, detachments of soldiers from the 82nd
Division of the Nigerian Army were also deployed and the operation was started
in late night of 29th of May 2016. Their murderous operation was
kick-started with the invasion of a primary school compound close to St Edmunds
Catholic, Nkpor-Agu in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State during which some
Igbo Nationality activists who arrived in the night of 29th of May
2016 for Igbo Heroes’ Day anniversary the next day and decided to sleep in the
school premises close to the Church, were attacked, shot at and killed while
others got critically injured. Some of the survivors were also arrested by
soldiers and dumped at the Onitsha Army Barracks till date. The invasion and
shooting took place around 1.30am-2am in the early hours of 30th of
May 2016.
Apart from our
on-the-spot investigation conducted so far for the Coalition by Intersociety, we have also read and
studied panicky and defenseless public statements/directives issued by the
authorities of the Government of Anambra State (http://www.tv360nigeria.com/pro-biafra-protests-anambra-government-gives-account-happened/),
the 82nd Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu (http://dailypost.ng/2016/05/30/several-soldiers-wounded-by-massob-ipob-members-in-onitsha-nigerian-army/#.V0z5YvgOlbk.facebook)
and retiring Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase (http://www.newsexpressngr.com/news/detail.php?news=24098&title=IGP-orders-disarming-of-IPOB-activists,-condemns-alleged-killing-of-officers).
We have further listened to defenseless and watery public clarifications
concerning the massacre by the Anambra State Police Commissioner and his Public
Relations Officer.
In all these, we
saw panics, contradictions, presidential and gubernatorial indictments,
wickedness, callousness, parasitism, despotism, animalism, crookedness,
cowardice, cannibalism, jihadism, ethnic cleansing, hate violence, and rabid
falsehood in the said statements and roles of the referenced authorities into
the massacre. The most unforgiving of all is the directive of the retiring
Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, who labeled the Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB) as “Armed Indigenous People of Biafra” and further
directed his relevant subordinates to “disarm the IPOB members and charge its
members and other innocent citizens arrested during the incident for murder”.
Mr. Solomon Arase who retires on 21st of June 2016 as Nigeria’s
worst IGP since 1999, with bucket-loads of blood of murdered innocent citizens
on his head, is the principal architect of the ongoing massacre of the
defenseless and unarmed Igbo Nationality activists via his riotous and
murderous order of 1st of December 2015.
We clearly see
the retiring IGP’s latest order as “operation shoot and kill any Igbo
Nationality (Biafran) activist at sight or in any gathering”. Labeling clearly
non violent and unarmed indigenous rights activists as “armed” without any
concrete evidence till date, is murderous and genocidal. The effects of this
can beastly be interpreted by killer police officers and uniform jihadists to
mean “license to kill” or “order from above to kill”. All the State murders and proxy murders in
Nigeria since December 2015 are expressly linked to President Muhammadu Buhari’s
reckless use of confrontational and combative words and issuance of war-like
and genocidal orders to Nigeria’s security forces against unarmed and
nonviolent citizens.
Countering Unpardonable Lies & Wicked Falsehood
Of Anambra State Government, Army & Police:
From our detailed findings, there is no iota of truth contained in the public statements
by the authorities under reference. But we agreed with the aspect of the
statement of the Nigerian Army, 82nd Division to the effect that the
roles of the Army in the Igbo Heroes Day massacre is “in tandem
with the recent directive of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed
Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through the Chief of Defence Staff to
the Chief of Army Staff to avert occurrences of such unwarranted and
uncivilized assemblies…”.
The Truth Behind Igbo Heroes & Heroines’ Day Anniversary: The 30th
of May of every year is set aside since 1966 for remembrance of the fallen
heroes of the Igbo Ethnic Nationality in Nigeria. As recently as 2014 and 2015,
it was marked in Enugu and Aba among dozens of foreign countries in totally
peaceful manners. It is strictly a sedentary event, featuring observance of
minutes of silence for Igbo fallen compatriots; stationary rallies and
processions, lectures and prayers or church services. It has nothing to do with
street protests or demonstrations even though the latter are not
constitutionally prohibited in Nigeria. The 2016 anniversary was slated to be
held in Onitsha zone and a privately owned newly graded large virgin land space
was scouted for and located along Nkpor-Umuoji Road, close to the ALO Aluminum
Industry Ltd. We understand that the space belongs to a market association,
being cleared for new residential buildings. The Igbo rights campaigners and
organizers of the 2016 Igbo Heroes Day Anniversary were allowed access into the
space by their owners just for the event.
On 24th
of May 2016, a leading advocate of the anniversary, the Indigenous People of
Biafra World Wide, addressed a notification letter to the Anambra State
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hosea Karma. The letter was dated 23rd
and signed on 24th of May 2016 by Mr. Uchenna Asiegbu; the group’s
head of the Directorate of State. The CP was constitutionally charged in the
letter to ensure that anniversary was a hitch free and the event venue provided
with security. The said letter was successfully couriered to the CP four days
to the anniversary. A copy of it is attached below. The CP, on receipt of the
letter, neither invited the signatories to the letter or their representatives,
nor made any public pronouncement concerning the status of the letter. Unknown
to organizers of the event including the IPOB, the letter became a counter
measure and State violence working document and based on same, State attacks
and violence against the organizers and their supporters were carefully planned.
Members of the State Joint Security Taskforce were fully mobilized and deadly
armed with more reinforcements from the 82nd Division of the
Nigerian Army. Through existing inter-State security arrangement between
Anambra and Delta States, the Delta State Police Command was also reached out
and placed on alert.
With the IPOB and
its sister bodies banking on its perceived friendly disposition of the Anambra
State based security agencies led by the State Police Command, on account of
the said letter, arrival signals and notifications were dispatched by the IPOB
and other pro Igbo indigenous rights campaigning bodies to all their members
and supporters across the country. Late into the night of 29th May
2016, they found their routes to Onitsha blocked by battle ready soldiers,
dominated by uniformed jihadists from the core north. The blocked routes are
Onitsha-Enugu Expressway for those coming from Enugu, Ebonyi and Cross Rivers,
Benue, Kogi, etc; Asaba-Onitsha Expressway including Niger Bridgehead and
Abraka Junction in Asaba, for those coming from Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Delta, Edo
and Southwest; and Onitsha-Owerri Dual Carriage Way for those coming from Imo,
Abia, Port Harcourt, Akwa Ibom, etc. Many of those that arrived late in the
night in chattered vehicular were blocked and forcefully dispatched and turned
back by soldiers. A number of them were arrested, beaten up, injured and detained.
Some were shot at
Onitsha Niger Bridgehead late into the same night of 29th of May
2016. Those who arrived few hours before the said late night managed to find
their way into the venue area; forcing them to squat and sleep at the Primary
School, close to St Edmunds Catholic Church at Nkpor-Agu ( which is close to
the event venue). Hours later at about 1.30am-2am, rampaging soldiers in
military trucks from the Onitsha Military Cantonment; acting under the express
instructions of their Commander-in-Chief (Gen Buhari) with the sub directive of
Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, stormed the School Premises close to
the Church and shot at them, killing some and wounding and arresting others.
In the morning of
the d-day (30th of May 2016), hell was let loose, with massive
shooting of live bullets on target and in all directions by security forces of
Governor Obiano’s Joint Security Taskforce. It was also a field day for
jihadists and hate killers of core northern Muslim extraction, armed and
uniformed by the Government of Gen Muhammadu Buhari, under the guise of
Nigerian Army or Police Force, as any gathering of three persons and above was
greeted with dozens of fired live bullets. Scenes of such deadly shootings
include Eke-Nkpor by Umuoji axis, Nkpor Junction, Afor-Nkpor down to Onitsha-Enugu
Expressway, Flyover Bridge by New Parts Market, Ojoto, Uke and Umuoji axis,
Ifite-Dunu, Ogbunike and Ogidi axis, Onitsha Niger Bridgehead, Asaba-Abraka
axis, etc. Following the total blockade of all strategic routes to the event
venue, the Igbo Indigenous rights activists in their thousands divided
themselves into three areas of Ifite-Dunu, Ojoto/Umuoji and Asaba-Abraka/Niger
Bridgehead and nonviolently tried to connect the event venue at Nkpor; yet they
were pursued and shot at by soldiers, police and navy personnel, leading to
scores of deaths and hundreds of deadly injuries. Those who managed to find
their way into the event venue along Nkpor-Umuoji were also shot at and
violently dispatched.
Casualty Figures & Invasion Of Teaching Hospital By
Soldiers: While comprehensive investigations are ongoing, it is our
discovery that the planned State violence against members of the Igbo
Indigenous Rights campaign movements and their supporters including the IPOB;
was further designed under operation “shoot, kill, pick corpses and bury them”; leading to corpses of scores
of those killed being picked by soldiers under heavy security in most of the
shooting scenes. Two sets of eyewitnesses’ accounts had informed Intersociety on 30th of May
2016 that they sighted three military trucks loaded with dead bodies at Nkpor,
heading to Onitsha Army Barracks. One of the eyewitnesses is a journalist who
said he counted six and another was an informed IPOB activist who saw two
truck-loads of dead bodies. This is not the first time Army has adopted “shoot,
kill, pick corpses and bury them” tactics. In the Onitsha massacres of 2nd
and 17th of December 2015 of IPOB members and supporters, the
murderous soldiers of Onitsha Military Cantonment also made away with corpses
of those they shot dead. In the Aba massacres of 18th and 29th
of January 2016 as well as 9th of February 2016, they did same. For
instance, three of the corpses of IPOB members they killed on 17th
of December 2015, were discovered in February and March 2016 by Intersociety at the Onitsha General
Hospital. Also, the Anambra State Government through its Commissioner for
Information, Mr. Tony Nnacheta, further attested to the said “shoot, kill, pick
corpses and bury them” operational policy, for the purpose of erasing traces.
This was during the
Government press conference over the massacre yesterday, being 31st
of May 2016. The Commissioner had asked journalists in attendance “have any of you
seen any dead body in connection with the incident”? Contradictorily, the same
Government had in its same statement “extended condolences to those that died
in the incident”.
Apart from ongoing
investigation and compilation of the casualty figures, facts at our disposal
clearly shows that the casualty figures including the dead and the wounded are
swelling in number on daily basis. Fourteen critically injured citizens are
presently at the Nnewi Teaching Hospital of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University,
fifteen are at the Multicare Hospital in Nkpor and nine are admitted at St Mary’s
Hospital, Nnewi. There are scores of others scattered in other private
hospitals such as Crown and St Michael Hospitals in Nkpor and others in Okija,
Asaba, etc. Scores of shot victims have also been taken to undisclosed clinics
within and beyond the State by their relatives and sympathizers. Their
emergency orthodox and unorthodox transfers followed sundry medical and
monetary challenges as well as fears of soldiers storming where they are
admitted and abducting them.
The personnel of the
Anambra State Police Command, who were later joined by soldiers had also in the
evening of the same 30th of May 2016, stormed the Nnewi Teaching
Hospital and abducted 12 critically shot victims admitted at the Emergency Unit.
Others abducted, according to a key eyewitness and one of the abductees, Ugoo
K.C.; are scores of the victims’ relatives and associates who responded to
distress calls when their loved ones were shot by soldiers and other members of
the Obiano’s JTF. Both the shot victims and their relatives were taken to the
State CID in Awka same night and dumped
for hours before the shot victims were returned to the Hospital hours later
same night, leaving behind their
relatives and sympathizers who are still detained till date. The anti
humanitarian tactics under complaint are also not new to the murderous
soldiers. In late night of 17th December 2015, the same soldiers of
the Onitsha Military Cantonment invaded the Multicare Hospital in Nkpor and
abducted 22 critically shot victims on emergency admission alongside their
relatives and sympathizers. They were shot earlier in the day at the Onitsha
Niger Bridgehead by soldiers for jubilating over the court-ordered release of
IPOB leader, Citizen Nnamdi Kanu (POC). Four later died in the same Hospital
owing to delayed treatments occasioned by their late night abduction by
soldiers.
We shall respond to
unpardonable lies and wicked regime falsehoods and muderous directives of the
named perpetrator-authorities in the second part of this statement.
Signed:
For: Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations
(SBCHROs)
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Leader SBCHROs & Board Chair,
Intersociety
Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Comrade Aloysius Attah, Chair, Anambra CLO & Head,
Publicity, SBCHROs
Mobile Line: +2348035090548
erry Chukwuokoro, PhD, Head, Research & Strategy, SBCHROs
Mobile Line: +2348035372962
Post A Comment:
0 comments: