Evidence Showing That Over 90% Of Citizens Killed By Soldiers And Police In Eastern Nigeria Are Innocent & Defenselessness - International Society

June 17, 2021 | The Biafra Times

Recap

Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, 17th June 2021:It is recalled that the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law had on 11th and 14th June, 2021 updated its special report of 31st May 2021 and provided more detailed and analytical evidence showing that: in first 160 days of 2021 or 1st January to 10th June, the Nigerian security forces especially soldiers of the Nigerian Army and other branches of the Armed Forces and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and DSS abducted or arrested and incarcerated no fewer than 2500 mostly innocent and law abiding citizens of Igbo Christian extraction; that the abductions or arrests took place in the nine Southeast and South-south States of Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers; that not less than 500 others were traceably killed including 150 victims of the State backed Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks; that out of the over 2500 abductees or arrestees, not less than 600 were disappeared or feared killed in the captivity of the military; that over 90% of the victims of the above conduct atrocities are innocent, falsely labeled and criminally stigmatized; that soldiers and police turned blind eyes on Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks including the recent massacre of not less than 150 defenseless Igbo Christians and till date no single Jihadist Fulani Herdsman involved has been picked and tried; that over 90% of Police and Military claims of “killing” or “arresting” ESN/IPOB hoodlums/terrorists/supporters/charms provider- native doctors” are false and unfounded; that 14 out of every 15 citizens killed are innocent and defenseless,  out of every 25 arrested, 24 are innocent and law abiding and out of every 60 citizens abducted and disappeared by soldiers, 59 are not most likely to return to their homes or families alive; that out of over 350 victims of the military and police killings, less than 10% of them were combatively involved, out of which 60% were killed outside the law or ought not to have been shot and killed on account of being nonviolent at the time of their shooting and killing; and in other words, they are victims of deadly use of force).

Continuation Of Killings, Abductions & Disappearances In The Last Seven Days

It is our additional finding that in the last seven days or 10th to 17th June 2021, at least 60 more civilian citizens were abducted or arrested in the named nine States, out of which 20 were disappeared by soldiers, 40 taken into detention by police and DSS and at least ten openly killed and questionably labeled. Many, if not most of the renewed conduct atrocities were recorded in Imo and Abia State. Also, in the same last seven days, more than twenty houses and other properties belonging to civilian citizens, who, till date, are unprocessed, unindicted, untried and un-convicted, were set ablaze by soldiers of the Nigerian Military and the Nigeria Police “Tactical”, “Quick Intervention” and “Anti Kidnapping/Cult” squads. In other words, it is correct to say that in the past 167 days of 2021 or 1st January to 17th June, no fewer than 2,560 civilian citizens who are mostly innocent and law abiding were abducted by Nigerian security operatives and held without trial, out of which not less than 620 were disappeared or feared killed in secrecy mainly by soldiers. Not less than 310 traceable deaths including victims of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks were also recorded.

Abduction, Killing And False Labeling Of Religious Leaders And Custodians Of  The Tradition

The Nigerian security forces in Eastern Nigeria are hatefully and indiscriminately killing and abducting defenseless, innocent and unarmed citizens and labeling them falsely. The security forces in total disregard to sacredness and sanctity of religious and traditional institutions and their custodians have also launched indiscriminate attacks on them, killing and abducting several of them and labeling and stigmatizing them. Since January 2021 in Eastern Nigeria and without concrete investigative evidence, not less than 70 Christian religious leaders and custodians of Traditional religions or their sacred altars have been killed extra-judicially or hatefully abducted and falsely labeled as “ESN/IPOB terrorists” or “native doctors preparing charms for ESN/IPOB hoodlums”. Such hate killings and false labeling are also accompanied by burning down of dozens of Christian and Traditional Religion’s worship centers and desecration of their sacred symbols.  Among them were some 35-40 Christian religious leaders of the Jewish Religion and the African Instituted Churches, a branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria abducted in March and April 2021 by Army and Police in Orlu and environs and falsely labeled “ESN/IPOB hoodlums” and “native doctors preparing charms for ESN hoodlums”.

Several highly respected traditional herbalists have also been attacked and abducted or killed extra-judicially by soldiers and Police including the DCP Abba Kyari’s “IRT”. Funny enough, witnesses have disclosed to Intersociety how the said security operatives dot their operational vehicles and bodies with deadly charms and hire malevolent medicine men to accompany them.  On June 12, 2021, Chief Duru Azubuike, a respected herbalist in Nguru, Mbaise, Imo State, was attacked and killed alongside his nephew by the Imo State Police Command and two days later, a censored statement claimed that: “they were killed by bandits/hoodlums”. On June 8, 2021, the Imo State Police Command falsely claimed to have “arrested two native doctors at Ukwuorji area of Mbaitoli of the State preparing charms for IPOB who also alongside seven others were involved in the attack on Gov Hope Uzodimma’s house at Omuma”. The two were named as ‘Chinedu Nwakaire and Uzoamaka Ugoanyanwu (40 years old”. But on investigation, Intersociety found that the two were just ‘tax collectors’ collecting tolls at Njaba River before allowing access to the visitors especially those from different religions who visit the River for solutions to their personal problems. The seven arrested persons were also found to be visitors to the River, arrested at the River side and falsely labeled.

On 11th June 2021, trucks loaded with soldiers and armored personnel carriers from 34 Brigade, Ohafia invaded Amangwu Ohafia in Abia State and principally targeted to abduct a respected and powerful herbalist, Uchechi Olu George.  The soldiers also moved from house to house, abducting youths and labeling them “ESN/IPOB terrorists”. The provoked situation and attempt to abduct the respected herbalist was physically and spiritually resisted leading to death of several soldiers which forced them to retreat and regroup and storm the Community in war-like style. It was also alleged that a top official of the Government of Abia State was instrumental to the soldiers’ invasion following torching of his house three weeks ago and a lingering rift between him and the powerful herbalist and the youths of the area. In the end, soldiers abducted scores and killed Pius Nwachukwu Michael and one Samuel and injured others including Ndubuisi Agwu and Eke Uche. They also set six houses, four vehicles and three motorcycles on fire and burnt them beyond recognition. The five paramount traditional rulers of the Ohafia Kingdom have also bemoaned incessant harassments and attacks by soldiers on the ancient Community and its clans including mass labeling them as “ESN/IPOB terrorists/supporters”. They also cried out saying that ‘soldiers have turned them and their land into IDP camp.  Same was the case with the traditional rulers in Esien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State who addressed the media on 13th June 2021 lamenting incessant intimidation, harassment and attacks on them and their defenseless natives by soldiers and police. The attacks include abductions, extrajudicial killings and falsely labeling them “ESN/IPOB terrorists/supporters”.

READ ALSO: Joint Press Statement: Biafra and Oduduwa Volunteer Force; - See video

Killing And False Labeling Of Over 30 Innocent Citizens At Ariaria Junction, Aba

On 23rd April 2021, an attempted attack was launched at an Army Roadblock at Ariaria Junction, near the crowded Ariaria International Market in Aba and the attackers retreated and escaped without combative casualty. Reinforcement of soldiers was sent from 144 Battalion and the drafted soldiers opened fire on innocent citizens including nearby shoe makers, Keke riders and other passersby, killing at least 30 and abducting scores of others. The shooting started between 7.30pm and 8pm of same day. Out of those killed, seventeen bodies were dumped at the Old Abia State Teaching Hospital (now mortuary). The soldiers and police picked some of the dead bodies and paraded them as “bodies of ESN gunmen killed while trying to attack soldiers at Ariaria Junction”. As if that was not enough, soldiers gathered over a dozen innocent citizens abducted from the scene and shot them dead at night of the same day. Two of those killed have been identified in the video as Nzubechukwu Nwaigwe, 35 years from Umuneke, Ehime-Mbano in Imo State and one “Ambassador”, who was a gateman/electrician at a property located near the Ariaria Market and a native of Osiri in Ezza Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Intersociety had studied and shared a video of the shooting possibly given out discreetly by one of the soldiers to an informant who shared same elsewhere. Among the seventeen slain innocent citizens dumped in the said Government mortuary, three have been identified as Citizens David Chukwuka, 21 years old from Igboeze North in Enugu who was a shoe maker at Ariaria Market, Ifeanyi Thomas, 28 years old Ariaria Market based shoe maker and a native of Ozuitem in Bende, Abia State and Okoro Alums, 26 years old Ariaria Market based shoe maker and a native of Amasiri in Ebonyi State.

Killing And False Labeling Of Over Ten Innocent Citizens At Enyeogugu, Abor-Mbaise

On 30th May 2021, the Nigerian military personnel stormed Enyeogugu Market Square in Abor-Mbaise and opened fire killing at least ten innocent citizens and injured others. The Imo State Police Command was immediately contacted and some of the bodies were gathered and later paraded as “bodies of ESN/IPOB gunmen that killed Barr Ahmed Gulak who met their waterloo in exchange of gunfire with gallant security operatives”. The Police claim was investigated by Intersociety and it was found that there was an attack at a police station and the attackers were blocked with a lorry loaded with onions by some Northern Muslims in the area, forcing the gunmen to shoot in the air in anger and scatter baskets-loads of onions which opened the road route leading to their escape without any loss of life. The passersby including church goers and returnees, Okada and Keke riders and others cashed in and were scrambling for the onions when soldiers arrived the scene and opened fire, killing not less than ten and injuring others. The next day, being 31st May 2021, personnel of the 211 Regiment, Nigerian Air Force in Owerri stormed the place with their vehicles and engaged in wanton shop to shop looting and molestation leading to carting away of goods worth millions of naira, looted from at least 20 shops. The Member, representing Abor Mbaise/Ngo Okpala Federal Constituency in the House of Reps, Hon Bede Eke also cried out on 3rd June 2021, saying that ‘security agencies are killing his constituents’. He gave the names of some of the slain victims as Noel Chigbu Nzeribe and Tochi Ekwe, among others.

Other Innocent Citizens Killed And Falsely Labeled

On 3rd June 2021, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Archbishop Anthony J.V. Obinna visited the Federal Medical Center, Owerri and saw not less than 35 freshly slain corpses dumped by soldiers and police at the mortuary section of the FMC. He had earlier visited the Owerri Prisons on 26th May and saw 106 citizens freshly brought and dumped in the Prisons. These are contained in the Saturday Vanguard of 5th June 2021.  On 29th May 2021, following an attack at the Abia State CID, Umuahia, soldiers and police went on rampage, abducting and killing dozens of innocent citizens. The attackers have attacked and escaped uncaught only for soldiers and police to invade houses and abducted dozens of innocent citizens. Soldiers alone abducted not less than 40 and eight of those they abducted and handed over to the Police the same night were gathered and shot dead and paraded as “bodies of armed ESN/IPOB killed in exchange of gunfire with gallant security operatives who repelled attack at the State CID Headquarters at Umuahia”. Among the eight innocent citizens abducted in their house the same evening and killed same night are: Obinna Onyebuchi Egekwu, 30 years old young father of two and his nephew, Onyebuchi Anthony Amadi, 27 years old. They hailed from Umuahia in Abia State. Till date, the whereabouts of over 40 others abducted and taken away by soldiers have remained unknown.

Citizen Oguchi Unachukwu, a Germany based Businessman was shot and killed by personnel of the 211 Regiment of the Nigerian Air Force in Owerri. He was killed on 1st June 2021 at the entrance Gate of Sam Mbakwe Air Port in Owerri on his way back to Germany. Citizen Oliver Mmaduakolam, an Owerri based millionaire businessman was shot and killed by soldiers on 25th May 2021. He was returning from a business trip outside Owerri when soldiers shot and killed him. Citizen Ifeanyi Obi, 45 years old father of three and prospering shoe manufacturer at ‘Bakkasi Market’, Ariaria International Market, Aba and a native of Egwe in Oguta, Imo State was among those five citizens shot and killed by soldiers and police in Imo State on Sunday, 6th June 2021 and later paraded as “bodies of ESN/IPOB gunmen killed in exchange of gunfire with gallant security operatives while trying to attack the Imo State Police Headquarters”. He had traveled home on Friday, 4th June alongside his wife’s younger brother, Chima for the latter’s uncle’s burial and boarded a bus going back to Aba on Sunday, 6th June when gunshots rented the air at Alvan Ikoku axis, forcing the vehicle he was traveling with to hurriedly dispatch all passengers. Late Ifeanyi and his in-law ran in different directions to escape flying Army and Police bullets. Soldiers stormed where he took refuge at an open place and shot him dead. The Imo State Police Command later paraded him alongside four others and labeled him falsely. The Police also removed his trousers and placed a pump action gun across his body to publicly portray him as a common criminal caught and killed in the act.  Instances are too numerous to mention.

 

Signed:

For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law

Principal Officers: Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chair and Chidimma Udegbunam, Esq., Head of Publicity

 

Contacts: Phone/WhatsApp: +2348174090052,

Email: [email protected], 

Website: intersociety-ng.org

Details Of Assassination Attempt By Suspected Government Assassins On Int’l Human Rights Lawyer (Barr Okoroafor) - Intersociety

 

Friday 26, 2021 || The Biafra Times

 The conduct atrocities of the present central Government of Nigeria using the Nigerian Army and its immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Retired Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai took another shameless and cowardly dimension in the afternoon of Thursday being yesterday, 25th Feb 2021 along Suleja-Bida Road in Niger State when Barrister Richie Ebuka Okoroafor, a British citizen of Igbo nativity and international human rights lawyer narrowly but divinely escaped assassination by suspected Government assassins. The Nigerian Government conduct atrocity perpetrators now seem to have shifted from hiring “human rights contractors” and paid ‘columnists’ and ‘writers’ to attempts at violently taking away the precious lives of critics and activists justly, pricelessly and conscientiously exposing their atrocities perpetrated in service.

The Abia State-born British Lawyer broke the sad news to Intersociety and Government of the United Kingdom yesterday evening hours after recovering from shocks associated with the assassination attempt. The attempted assassination had taken place along Suleja-Bida Road when he was returning to Abuja after visiting the Alpha Base, manned by soldiers and belonging to the Joint Security Taskforce or JTF in Niger State. His visit to the temporary Army Base followed new discovery of another batch of 109 Obigbo Army abductees including Citizen Elvis Ngozi whom his family recently located to the Base through an Army officer contacted by the Family. Barrister Okoroafor had before leaving the Base noticed that his private car had been marked with a black paint in the rim marked after he had parked the car and entered the Base.

Read Also: Nigeria’s Terrorist Government and the People

 Conscious of that fact and believing in God Almighty and the taintless spirits of those violently departed by the named perpetrators for divine protection, Lawyer Okoroafor entered his car and drove for about 20 minutes from the Base returning to Abuja when his car was crossed and blocked by an unmarked white Hilux with some armed men who opened fire instantly and at close. His car was rained with live bullets including aiming and shooting at driver’s and car owner’s sides. The Lawyer took a back reverse and managed to find his way into a market place, forcing the assassins to speed off and escape. The Lawyer was driving in a black Mercedes Car (GLK M133 Model).  The matter was later reported to the Nigeria Police Force, Suleja Area Command in Niger State. The British Government also responded swiftly and offered to evacuate the Lawyer who is of British citizenship back to UK subject to his approval.

 Why They Want Barrister Okoroafor Assassinated

Apart from exposing the secret trial and execution of six Igbo Christian soldiers who were secretly executed on 24th Jan 2021 at the instruction of then Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai (as he then was), Barrister Okoroafor, also jointly with others located not less than 370 out of over 400 defenseless Obigbo residents abducted between Oct and Nov 2020 by Nigerian Army under the leadership of the same Tukur Buratai. The abductions followed a war-grade invasion and attacks by Nigerian Army on Obigbo and environs during which 102 defenseless civilians were killed and 120 others shot and injured. Out of the over 400 Obigbo abductees, 208 have been freed by Courts and names of 162 others including 53 girls and young women located. The judicial release of the 208 abductees was achieved through the dogged efforts of the Lawyer and other lawyers working with him. Though Lt Gen Buratai was asked to retire on 26th Jan 2021 by Nigerian Government but he was un-popularly made an “ambassador” despite stiff local and international oppositions and criticisms over his terribly poor human rights records.

 Fingering Army & Buratai In The Assassination Attempt

It is almost an act of impossibility for the assassination attempt not to have arisen from the Nigerian Army and the camp of its immediate past Chief of Staff, Retired Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, and by extension, the Government of Nigeria. This is also owing to the fact that the ex Army chief is now a diplomatic employee of the same Government of Nigeria that appointed him Army Chief on 13th July 2015.

 According to a criminological analysis done in the instant case by Emeka Umeagbalasi: “Barrister Okoroafor is a young lawyer with rising local and international reputation but he is new in Nigerian social lifestyles or its political murky waters to warrant enmity of such terminal proportion; therefore the surest and inescapable point of strong suspicion is rested in the doorsteps of the Nigerian Army and its immediate Chief of Staff, Retired Lt Gen Tukur Buratai. In this instance, the latter is the first or most suspected of the suspected. The Lawyer, as a matter of fact, has told me more than three times that he is being marked, tracked and trailed by suspected agents of the Nigerian Government since Nov 2020 when he rescued the first batch of 52 Obigbo abductees in Niger State.

Therefore, although Gov Nyesom Wike was vicariously involved in the massacre and abductions but his desperation and panics are most likely not have gone beyond the boundaries of Obigbo and Rivers State. The other accused person/entity (Army and its ex COAS) are considered more desperate and mean and may have decided to “travel” the Barrister and potential others so as to prevent further exposition of the untold stories of the Obigbo Army atrocities or for purpose of preventing international embarrassments and sanctions against the newly appointed non-career ambassador(s) (i.e. ex Army Chief). Looking at the circumstances and patterns of the assassination attempt, too, there are strong suggestive of the fact that the assassins are likely the serving members of the “Special Assignment” squad of the Nigerian Army or DSS.

 Attached are the pictures of Barrister Richie Ebuka Okoroafor’s Mercedes Car riddled with bullets and some expended cartridges recovered from the scene of the attempted assassination.  

Signed:

For: International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law

Emeka Umeagbalasi, Obianuju Igboeli, Esq., and Chidimma Udegbuna

(Principal Officers)

Contacts:

Mobile/WhatsApp: +2348174090052