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Osinbajo Bombarded With Facts Of Gross Human Rights Abuses In Nigeria
(4) the Rann IDP bombing in Maiduguri and other war related conduct atrocities including Amnesty International’s allegation that “240 civilians including 29 children aged between new born and five years were made to die in Nigerian Army’s custody in 2016 in Maiduguri; after which they were buried in secret mass graves by the officials of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency”.
The modalities for the special criminal investigations board under demand shall be worked out by the Attorney General of the Federation and Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and presented to the Federal Executive Council for ratification and approval.
That is to say Sir, upon receipt of this letter of ours and its attachments, you shall refer same to the AGF and Office of the SGF for immediate action Sir.
The Special Criminal Investigations Board shall expertly be headed by the DIG in-charge of Nigeria Police Criminal Investigations and; composed of representatives of Directorate of Military Intelligence, Military Police, State Security Service, and National Intelligence Agency and their legal departments as well as office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The investigative personnel so chosen must be serving members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Police and drawn from all the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
We suggest further Sir that the Board may be decentralized and that its investigative personnel must penetrate impenetrable and avoid any form of armchair syndrome or staying in the comfort of their offices and be inviting members of the public to appear before them.
Their fact-finding and crime scenes’ investigation or visitation modes shall be down-top modes or from non-State actors to State actors.
Their field investigation personnel must civilianize themselves when visiting (i.e. dressed in plainclothes and avoid brandishing AK-47s).
This is to avoid creating unnecessary panics and psychological insecurity among those capable of assisting them in their investigations.
Authorities and offices of those human rights organizations, activists and other relevant stakeholders including the victims’ groups that investigated and issued reports concerning the referenced gross rights abuses or commission of heinous crimes shall be friendly and humanely located and approached.
It must be clearly stated here Sir that we may most likely not going to entertain or answer any call or response or invitation arising from this letter except that credibly emanating from the Board of Criminal Investigations under demand which must be headed by the DIG Force Criminal Investigations.
In the case of the trio of Governors William Obiano, Okezie Ikpeazu and Nasir el-Rufai of Anambra, Abia and Kaduna States respectively, they can be criminally and conclusively investigated while in office.
If indicted, their trial commences the moment they lose immunity of office with the exception being if they are to be tried internationally such as before the ICC. [Please see the case of Gani Fawehinmi v. Inspector General of Police (and Gov Ahmed Bola Tinubu) (2002) 7 NWLR (Pt.767) 606]
Where it is found that the continuing staying in office of the named top officers of the Armed Forces and the Police especially the present IGP, COAS, Chief of Air Staff, DG of SSS, DIG Habila Joshak, Major Gen Ibrahim Attahiru and AIG Hosea Karma, etc will impede or jeopardize the investigations and their outcomes, they should be asked to step aside.
DEMAND FOR FEC APPROVED 3-IN-ONE JUDICIAL COMMISSIONS OF ENQUIRY
There shall be constituted a 3-in-One Judicial Commissions of Enquiry to be decentralized and located in (a) Zaria, (b) Benue and (c) Enugu to look into:
(i) massacre and maiming of Shiite Muslims in Zaria, (ii) killings by armed Fulani herdsmen and reprisal killings, if any, since June 2015, and (iii) mass killing and maiming of pro Biafra activists in Southeast and South-south.
Its modalities shall also be worked out under your directive by the AGF and Office of the SGF and presented to FEC for ratification and approval.
It shall have representatives drawn from (1) Amnesty International, (2) Human Rights Watch, (3) Nigerian Rights Groups especially those based in the Southeast Zone, Kaduna and Abuja; (4) the Federal Government of Nigeria bearing in mind its federal character principle or geopolitical spread; (5) Nigerian Armed Forces and Police; (6) Nigerian Bar Association; (7) the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria and its Kafanchan Archdiocese; (8) the ECWA Church in Nigeria and its Kaduna zone; (9) the Christian Association of Nigeria including the PFN; (10) relevant Muslim bodies; (11) the Islamic Movement in Nigeria or Shiites; (12) the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB); (13) Nigerian Union of Journalists, (14) Ohanaeze Ndigbo, (15) etc.
It shall be 60% non-State actor and 40% State actor composed.
The 3-in-One Special Judicial Commissions of Enquiry of the Federal Government shall come out with fair and dispassionate recommendations including:
(1) punitive and administrative sanctions such as dismissal or sack of those public office holders found vicariously and operationally culpable; as well as their criminal prosecution;
(2) proscription of violent groups found culpable and criminal prosecution of its principal officers and foot perpetrators; and,
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