Reports
Intersociety Bombards Osinbajo With List Of Gross Human Rights Abuses In Nigeria
Sir,
Gross Abuses of Human Rights In Nigeria: Demanding For FEC Approved Special Criminal Investigations Board And 3-in-One Judicial Commissions Of Enquiry Within 90 Days In Compliance With Int’l Law’s Principles Of Complementarity & No Impunity (Part One)
We are Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (www.intersociety-ng.org). We thematically advocate for promotion and advancement of civil liberties and rule of law, citizens’ security and safety; and democracy and good governance including integrity, probity and accountability in governance.
Recall Sir, that Nigeria had since 29th May 2015 when the Buhari/Osibanjo’s sixth central civilian Government which you now head in acting capacity came on board; recorded gross abuses of human rights or commission of heinous crimes amounting to crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
The gross rights abuses majorly occurred in the course of counterinsurgency operations in the Northeast undertaken by the Armed Forces particularly the Nigerian Army as well as unconstitutional and violent involvement by the Army in the civil assemblies and processions peacefully organized by social and religious voices in Nigeria or in any part thereof.
The Nigerian Army’s violent crackdowns or disruption of civil assemblies and processions in Nigeria occurred in Northwest (i.e. Kaduna), Southeast and parts of South-south geopolitical zones in periods between August and December 2015 and January/February and May 2016 as well as January 2017.
These are classified as State actor fueled or caused gross human rights abuses or heinous crimes perpetrated or carried out in non-war situation or peacetime; amounting to crimes against humanity and genocide.
On the other hand, Sir, the killings by the armed Fulani Herdsmen or Fulani Terrorist Group and other reprisal killings (i.e. killing of Fulani citizens by victims’ group, if any) constitute the bulk of non-State actor gross human rights abuses in Nigeria since June 2015 and they amount to crimes against humanity perpetrated in non-war situation.
Over 2800 defenseless citizens including women and children have been killed by the referenced illicitly armed agro-Jihadist group since June 2015 particularly in Southern Kaduna and Benue State and most of the victims are members of rural Christian population.
Hundreds, if not thousands of women belonging to the victims’ groups have been raped as well.
It is also on record Sir that till date, the Buhari/Osinbajo central Government which you now head in acting capacity, has refused to declare the armed Fulani herdsmen as terrorist group or armed opposition group and have their mother organization-Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria proscribed in line with extant laws of the Federation.
Their leaders and foot soldiers have remained untouchable and an outlaw with on single one of them arrested or put on trial in Nigeria or any part thereof till date.
Sir, the war crimes or war related gross abuses of human rights under complaint involve:
(1) custody and open killing of civilians or noncombatants by the Nigerian Army in the course of its counterinsurgency operations in Northeast zone since June 2015 including the alleged death in Army custody in Maiduguri of 240 civilians including 29 children aged between new born and five years, and,
(2) the Rann IDP Camp bombing and killing of 236 defenseless civilians on 17th January 2017 by the Nigerian Air Force.
These unlawful killings in wartime are classified as war crimes and genocide under int’l criminal law including the Geneva Conventions or Laws of War of 1949 and its four protocols of 1977.
On the other hand Sir, there had been three major non-war or peacetime killings in Nigeria since June 2015 resulting in gross abuses of human rights resulting to over 1,750 deaths and 800 injuries. They include:
(1) violent crackdown/disruption by the Chief of Army Staff (Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai), his convoy and personnel of the Nigerian Army of Shiite Muslims’ religious processions of 12th to 14th December 2015, leading to death of over 800 defenseless members of the group and hundreds of injuries.
(2) There are also post December 2015 killing of members of the group also called Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) by security forces.
In all, a total of not less than 1,120 Shiite Muslims lost their lives to Nigeria’s security forces particularly the Nigerian Army between December 2015 and November 2016.
The second major non-war or peacetime killings in Nigeria were the massacre of unarmed and defenseless pro Biafra activists in Southeast and parts of South-south Nigeria which took place between August 2015 and January 2017, leading to death of over 270 and injuring of over 370 others.
The Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force account for 75% and 20% of the killings and maiming respectively.
The third major non-war or peacetime agro-Jihadist killings in the country perpetrated by a non-State actor group called “armed Fulani Herdsmen of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria”, who are apparently protected and aided by the State are the ongoing massacre of members of predominant rural Christian population in Nigeria which rose to an apogee since June 2015, leading to death of not less than 2800.
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