EU Warns President Buhari: Press Statement
(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
Email:
info@intersociety-ng.org,
emekaumeagbalasi@yahoo.co.uk
Website:
www.intersociety-ng.org
Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq., Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program
Uzochukwu Oguejiofor-Nwonu, Esq., Head, Campaign & Publicity Department
