Photos and videos of Buhari's Butchery of Biafrans Onitsha - Right Group exposes the enormity of Buhari's savagery and atrocities against Biafrans
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| Lifeless Bodies of Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo & Michael Nweke at Osha Gen Hospital |
Butchery
Across The Niger: How Jubilant IPOB/Pro Biafra Activists Were Shot,
Abducted, Murdered & Dumped At Onitsha General Hospital By Soldiers
Of Onitsha Military Cantonment (Concluding Part)
(Onitsha Nigeria, 7th of April 2016)-In the first part of this publication, dated 5th of April 2016, the leadership of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law made
a firm promise to furnish all Nigerians and members of the
international community including all international rights and media
groups with detailed information concerning the shooting,
abduction, murdering and dumping in Onitsha General Hospital Mortuary of
some jubilant members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by
soldiers of the Onitsha Military Cantonment led by Col Issah Abdullahi. The dastardly act was perpetrated on 17th of December 2015 at the Onitsha Niger Bridgehead in Anambra State, Southeast of Nigeria.
We
had earlier reported that not less than 80 members and supporters of
the IPOB were shot and killed by the security forces, which also shot
and terminally maimed over 170 others particularly in the Southeast and
the South-south zones.
The shootings and killings took place between 30th of August 2015 and 9th of
February 2016 during nonviolent and peaceful protests and processions
associated with nonviolent pro Biafra agitation. While the killings are
concentrated in three locations of Onitsha/Awka, Aba and Igweocha
(Rivers State); the shootings and their victims are majorly found in
five locations of Onitsha/Awka, Asaba, Enugu, Aba and Igweocha (Rivers
State).
The Nigerian Army accounts for 65% of the culpability, while the
Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Navy Command account for 30% and
5% respectively. The crude State violence used was fuelled by
pronouncements to that effect by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Turkur
Buratai and retiring IGP, Solomon Arase. The pronouncements, which were
widely publicized in local and international visual, audio-visual and
online media; specifically directed their sub commanders and
subordinates to use maximum force and other available means to crush
any peaceful procession or protest associated with pro Biafra agitation.
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| Col Issah Abdullahi, Commander, Onitsha Military Cantonment (Left) |
Apart
from the shootings and killings, hundreds of IPOB/pro Biafra activists
and their supporters particularly in the South-south and the Southeast
zones are presently languishing in various prisons across the country
after being arraigned in inferior courts that do not have jurisdictional
competence to try them in spurious charges of capital felonies leveled
against them. Such felonies carry death penalty and life imprisonment on
conviction.
This segment of the dastardly act is solely perpetrated by
the Nigeria Police Force; in addition to indiscriminate arrest and
arbitrary detention of members and supporters of the group using
criminal stigmatization by labeling them “Biafra members”. Torture and
other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment is also a
routine and commonly used by soldiers, navy and police personnel in the
treatment of arrested and detained IPOB activists.
There are also cases
of disappearances of IPOB/pro Biafra activists and supporters. In Abia
State and between the State and Rivers State, corpses of unarmed
citizens suspected to be IPOB/pro Biafra activists and their supporters
are indiscriminately dumped in burrow pits or buried in shallow graves.
While 16 dead bodies were recently discovered in two locations in Aba
and environs, there is also latest discovery of eight more corpses in a
pit in the border town of Etche in Rivers State. The area is located
between Abia, Imo and Rivers States.
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| Mathew Ndukwe Kanu's Casket |
According to Comrade Michael Okoro, an IPOB official in Abia State and a resident of Aba, “I
went to the abandoned site last week where the eight corpses were
dumped and I saw them. We strong suspect that those eight new corpses
dumped in Etche Community are members of our organization (IPOB)
arrested in their homes and other locations as well as those arrested by
soldiers since 9th of
February 2016 at Ngwa High School, who were moved to the Ohafia
Military Barracks.
One of those arrested on that day and taken to Ohafia
Barracks alongside others, got freed recently on account of his
father’s wealth and connections. It was from him and other reliable
resources that we gathered that even up till now, our members are still
there while others whereabouts are unknown till date. It is possible
they are taken to those secret places alive and executed. Families whose
loved ones have gone missing on account of IPOB nonviolent protests in
Aba are too afraid to speak out”.
This expressly suggests that the Nigerian Army in the area dominated by
soldiers of Hausa-Fulani stock is engaged in systematic and secret
execution of those in their captivity, after which they are sparsely
dumped in pits or buried in mass graves.
Mathew Ndukwe Kanu's Video
Pretrial Arbitrary Detention Of IPOB Officials:
Twenty officials (20) and members of the IPOB from Abia, Imo and Rivers
States who were arrested by the Abia State Police Command since 9th of
February 2016 during the shooting and killing of 22 IPOB activists and
injuring of over 30 others at Ngwa High School in Aba are still
languishing in Umuahia Prisons. They were arraigned in inferior court
(Magistrate Court 1) in Umuahia, which lacks jurisdiction to try them
over capital felonies slammed on them; following which they were sent to
prisons as “awaiting trial detainees” and till date, their trial has
not commenced. While 16 of them were arrested on 9th of
February 2016, four others have been in pretrial detention since
January 2016. Their names are (1) Ugwoha Okechukwu, (2) Okechukwu
Nnebedum, (3)Donatus O. Okeke, (4) John Onyebuchi, (5) Ifeanyi Okike,
(6) Amos Nkemjika Ezekiel, (7) Joseph Okorie, (8)Ani Chimezie, (9)Jude
Amiche, (10) Emeka Ezeugo, (11)Igwechukwu Ebuka,(12)Monday Ibenji,
(13) Okwudili Okafor, (14) Nnabuike Obasi, (15) Ngozi Onuorah (she is
married with five children), (16) Nwogu Ginikachi and (17) Nwogu
Eberechi (sisters), (18) Chibuzor Okpara, (19) Oluchukwu Bekee (she is
married with a kid) and (20)Nnene Ekwueme (she is married with six
children).
Summary Of The Butchery Across The Niger:
Clusters as well as extensive nonviolent protests and processions by
IPOB/pro Biafra activists and their teeming supporters were between 30th of August and 2ndof
December 2015 organized in Anambra State particularly in Onitsha and
environs; followed by Nnewi, Ekwulobia and Awka. Other than that of 30th of August and that of 2nd of December 2015; there were no reports of casualties and gunshot wounds. In the 30th of
August 2015 nonviolent protest near the Awka Government House embarked
upon by the women wing of IPOB, some of them sustained wounds inflicted
on them by police personnel attached to Awka Government House. In the 2nd of
December 2015 large protest in Onitsha and environs, the security
forces (police, army and navy) shot and killed at least 13 IPOB/pro
Biafra activists and their supporters and terminally maimed over 20
others. In the two protests under reference, not less than 13 IPOB/pro
Biafra activists and their supporters were shot and killed and over 24
others terminally maimed. In the entire shootings and killings
associated with IPOB/pro Biafra nonviolent protests, processions and
jubilations in Anambra State, over 27 IPOB activists and supporters were
killed by security and over 40 others terminally maimed. The casualties
include five persons that died later in the hospital following terminal
gunshots.
Michael Nweke's Video
17th of December 2015 Massacre Of Jubilant IPOB/pro Biafra Activists At Onitsha Niger Bridgehead:
Following a pronouncement made by the Abuja Division of the Federal
High Court for immediate and unconditional release of Citizen Nnamdi
Kanu (POC), which Federal Government of Nigeria later flouted; members
of the IPOB, dominated by the Obosi Zone of the group at Nkpor abandoned
their scheduled meeting same day and went into a celebration match
along Onitsha-Enugu Expressway. The jubilant group in their dozens
peacefully marched and sang along the Expressway before headed towards
the Onitsha Niger Bridgehead to pay homage to the statue of late
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu erected before the Bridge. On getting to the
spot, soldiers of Hausa-Fulani extraction stationed at the Bridge
sighted them and pulled their triggers. Before the jubilant IPOB members
knew what was happening, the murderous soldiers had opened fire on
them, killing at least nine of them instantly and terminally maiming
over 17 others.
As
if that was not enough, the murderous soldiers attached to the Onitsha
Military Cantonment made away with corpses of those they killed and a
number of others with gunshot wounds. Others abandoned by soldiers were
rushed to hospital by sympathizers and unhurt IPOB activists. The
soldiers later stormed the Multicare Hospital where they were taken to
and abducted 22 of them including the victims’ relatives and those
injured who were at terminal state. The soldiers stormed the Hospital
around 10:08pm same night of the dastardly act (17th of
December 2015).
They later in the same night brought back five of them
who were at terminal state. The remaining others were held hostage in
the Onitsha Army Barracks till 19th of
December 2015 when they were transferred to the State CID at Awka
following advocacy outcries by our organization and the Anambra State
Branch of the CLO. Following efforts made by the two rights groups, all
the 17 army hostages taken to the State CID were freed, except those
they shot and abducted at the Niger Bridgehead on 17th of December 2015. Among the 17 citizens held hostage by soldiers (injured and relatives) were Amaechi Alo, Ejike Jideofor, Onyema Ikeagwu, Emeka Nwaoba, Emeka Eneje, Felix Okeke, Prince Ogechukwu Okonkwo, etc. Names of the five citizens at terminal injury state returned by soldiers to the the Multicare Hospital same night were given as Nzubechukwu Okonkwo (Prince), Chinonso Nwele, Debeluchi Chukwu, Chigozie Nweke and Chinonso. Four
of the wounded citizens shot by soldiers later died in the Hospital, in
addition to another gunshot victim that died at the Paragon Hospital.
Dumping Of Abducted & Murdered IPOB Activists At Onitsha General Hospital Morgue:
Following the dastardly act perpetrated by soldiers of the Onitsha
Military Cantonment led by Col Issah Abdullahi, search parties were
raised by IPOB members and families of the victims. The searches were
extended to River Niger where divers were hired as well as visits to
public mortuaries; all in search of missing IPOB activists.
Weeks
later, a breakthrough was recorded when information got to the IPOB that
three of their members shot and abducted by soldiers on 17th of
December 2015 were found dumped at the Onitsha General Hospital
mortuary. The Hospital is owned by the Government of Anambra State.
Initial efforts made to confirm the information from the Hospital hit a
brick wall following a firm order by the Hospital management to the
staffs of its mortuary section to keep a sealed lip on the issue. It
took weeks of cries, lamentations and persuasions from families of the
victims to sooth the conscience of some staffs; on strict condition of
anonymity. It was unofficially revealed to IPOB, victims’ families and
our organization that some soldiers of the Onitsha Military Cantonment
stormed the Hospital with some police personnel from the Onitsha Central
Police Station (CPS) and deposited the three corpses of murdered IPOB
members on 21st of December 2015; four days after the shooting and killing rampage.
Video of Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo
Further
investigations revealed that the corpses were hidden somewhere in Awka
before they were transferred to the Onitsha Government General Hospital
on the approval of some officials of the Government of Anambra State.
Investigations further revealed that “soldiers cannot deposit such
murdered corpses in public mortuary on their own without the involvement
of the police”, which was why they sought and secured the involvement
of police personnel of the CPS, Onitsha. Arrangements were unofficially
made by the mortuary section of the Hospital with the victims’ families
and the IPOB, leading to facial and pictorial identification of their
murdered loved ones; after which their corpses were removed from the
Hospital and taken home for burial on 11th and 12th of March 2016. Our organization visited the Hospital on 8th and 9th of
March 2016.
The three murdered corpses and their States, LGAs and
Communities’ of their origin are: (1) Michael Nweke (37) from Aguekka,
Ekka Community of Ezza North LGA in Ebonyi State. He was buried on 11th of
March 2016; (2) Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo (26) from Amaokpo in Nssakra
Omege Community of Ezza South LGA in Ebonyi State. He was buried on 11th of March 2016, and (3) Mathew Ndukwe Kanu (25) from Ndiodo Community in Akanu-Ohafia LGA in Abia State. He was buried on 12th of March 2016.
The
link below contains written testimonies of the immediate relatives of
the three murdered IPOB activists. The relatives are (1) Sunday Nweke
(younger brother to late Michael Nweke), (2) Frank Chijioke Nwankwo
(elder brother to late Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo) and (3) Grace Onyinyechi
Kanu (elder sister to late Mathew Ndukwe Kanu). They met with
Intersociety recently. http://intersociety-ng.org/
We
renew our call for international enquiries or investigations into these
dastardly acts. The Buhari administration must stop the ongoing ethnic
cleansing and mass murder of unarmed and nonviolent members of the Igbo
Ethnic Group in Nigeria and refrain from pushing the innocent Race to
the wall. We also demand for international arrest and prosecution of the
following security chiefs in Nigeria:
(1) Lt General Turkur Buratai
(COAS), (2) IGP Solomon Arase (retiring Police IG), (3) Col Issah
Abdullahi (Commander of Onitsha Military Cantonment), Lt Kasim Sidi Umar
(Commander of 144 Battalion, Aba),
(4) CP Hosea Habila (CP of Abia
State), and (5) ACP Peter Nwagbara (Aba Area Commander); among others
for their collective and individual involvements in the dastardly acts
under reference. We also call on the international community and local
and international rights and media groups to mount and sustain intensive
pressures on the authorities of the Nigerian Army and their Onitsha
Military Cantonment for the purpose of disclosing where they dumped the
corpses of other IPOB/pro Biafra activists and their supporters shot,
murdered and abducted alongside those of late Citizens Michael Nweke,
Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo and Mathew Ndukwe Kanu on 17th of December 2015 at the Onitsha Niger Bridgehead.
We
also demand for immediate and unconditional release of Citizen Nnamdi
Kanu (POC) and others standing kangaroo trials and political
persecutions with him as well as 20 IPOB officials and members dumped at
Umuahia Prisons before and since 9th of
February 2016, whose names are given above. The continuing detention of
women among them particularly those with little children at home is a
serious affront to the principles and purposes of the United Nations as
well as the basic standards of the international law and humanitarian
principles.
Following
pictures and videos are attached: (a) pictures of late Michael Nweke
and Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo when they were still in the Onitsha General
Hospital Morgue, (b) picture of Michael Nweke before his brutal murder
by soldiers of the Onitsha Military Cantonment, (c) casket of Michael
Nweke before his burial,
(d) video of Michael Nweke during his last
journey followed by his interment, (e) picture of Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo
before his gruesome murder, (f) casket of Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo before
his interment, (g) video of Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo during last journey
followed by his interment, (h) picture of Mathew Ndukwe Kanu before his
brutal murder, (i) casket of Mathew Ndukwe Kanu before his interment,
(j) video of Mathew Ndukwe Kanu during his last journey followed by his
interment, (k) group picture featuring Frank Chijioke Nwankwo (elder
brother to slain Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo), Emeka Umeagbalasi
(Intersociety Boss), Sunday Nweke
(younger brother to slain Michael Nweke), Grace Onyinyechi Kanu (elder
sister to slain Mathew Ndukwe Kanu) and Barr Uju Joy Igboeli of
Intersociety, (l) another group picture featuring the above named with
Comrade Ugochukwu Chinweubah(IPOB official in Anambra State) during
their meeting with Intersociety in Onitsha on Saturday, 19th of March 2016, and (m) picture of Col Issah Abdullahi (first from the right).
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| Emeka Umeagbalasi with close relatives of the three slain IPOB members |
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| Umeagbalasi with relatives of slain IPOB members joined by others |
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