A rights group based in Anambra state-Nigeria, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, has petitioned the government of Peter Obi to investigate the recent killing of over 30 persons, including pregnant women and security officials, in parts of the state.The killings cut across towns in Anambra Central and South senatorial zones of the state. (Pictures show left, Comrade Umeagbalasi; right, IG Mike Okiro and down left, Governor Peter Obi)
The petition, signed by Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman, Board of Trustees, and dated 23 April, 2009, looks in the directi
on of desperate politicians in the state as the sponsor/s of deadly murder gang holding the ‘Light of the Nation’ state hostage.Among other recommendations is that Obi government should foot the hospital bills of the wounded to ensure their quick recoveries.
Read petition below:
Ref: Intersociety/ AN/NIG/vol.02/04/09/ANSG/AN/FRN
41, Miss Elems Street
Fegge- Onuicha
Anambra state, Nigeria
23/04/09
His Excellency
Mr. Peter Obi
Governor of Anambra State
Office of the Governor
Oka, Anambra State
Sir,
Reported Slaughtering Of Over Thirty (30) Innocent Persons By A Gang Of “Armed Robbers”: Anambra People Are At War With Their Deadly Politicians
The International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law writes Your Excellency concerning the subject matter above- stated.
Your Excellency will recall that on Monday, 20th day of April 2009, over thirty (30) people, including pregnant women and security agents allegedly were brutally shot dead in a broad day light by a gang of some say armed robbers. Scores of injuries were also recorded. The shooting and killing spree, which reportedly started at Oba- Nnewi Road (Ichi) axis, later extended to Ideani- Oraukwu axis and Nnobi- Oka-Etiti- Igboukwu- Ezinifite axis. In all, two Senatorial Districts (Anambra Central and Anambra South) were affected.
The murderous gang was reported to have operated on a Hiace bus, a Hilux van and a Jeep. The murderous operation was kick-started with a pursuit of a bullion van at a filling station, Ichi, which was reportedly set ablaze very close to Ichi Community Bank, after allegedly moving the cash contents said to be in region of N50million. Independent sources alleged that a bank where they Ibru dynasty has substantial interests was involved and that it was unfortunate to have fallen into the trap of the killer-robbers. The said dead squad, having dislodged a unit of Mobile Policemen escorting the bullion van, later had a preemptive shoot out with about three Mobile Policemen guarding the Ichi Community Bank, after which the dead squad escaped via Ojoto through Mmili- John Road, from that axis, the killer – robbers found their way to Ideani, then to Nnobi junction, from where they escaped through Nnobi-Igbo-ukwu/Ezinifite Roads.
The killer-robbers paraded the areas so mentioned amidst indiscriminate shooting at close range, of commuters and pedestrians going about their businesses. At the end, scores of death and injuries were recorded, at least going by NAUTH accounts. Barely six months ago, similar bloody attack was recorded at Oka-uzu- Oka axis (bullion van/homicide incident). On the Christmas Eve of 2008, five policemen were felled by the killer-robbers’ bullets at Abagana. There have been reported cases of kidnapping in some parts of the State in recent times. Cases of armed robbery via Okadas (motorcycles) are also on the increase, especially in urban centers. In rural areas, cases of house raids and vehicular snashing have resurged .In fact, Anambra’s former dead zones are being made homicidally lively again by these deadly politicians.
Our Earlier Positions:
We had earlier alerted Your Excellency to be wary of the antics of Anambra deadly politicians, whose stock in trade is violence and nothing but violence. Because they are beastly and conscienceless, they must not be allowed to experiment their evil hypotheses on Anambra polity.
They are like “Andy” and “Paulo” in the “Living in Bondage”, once killed; they can kill, kill, and kill ceaselessly and thoughtlessly. Unfortunately, our warnings were taken for granted by Your Excellency. If a politician could consciously lie bare before a satanic shrine in the dead of the night, which premises were littered with fresh human dead bodies with disgusting stench, did sanctity of human lives matter to him? If a politician could be turbaned the “Commander-in-Chief of Bakassi Boys”, couldn’t he eat a human part if directed by a satanic shrine as a condition for his appointment as a minister?
We had had the record in Anambra State whereby some persons, backed by then Government of Anambra State, sustained a culture of mass-murder in order to keep going the N3 billion per year security revenues. Today, the existence of vigilantism in the State is substantially pecuniary interest rather than for protection of lives and property. Even the recent creation by the IGP, of more Mobile Police formations in the State amounts to generation of more “returns” for the police bosses. It is now, the more Mobile Policemen posted on Anambra roads, the more bloody revenues for themselves and their superiors. The over one hundred police check points in the State, means over N2 million per day (N20, 000 per check-point), N60 million per day and N720 million per year. Because they are on those” nipping points” to “nip N20.00 in the bud”, whenever killer- robbers or armed robbers went on rampage, they (mobile policemen) scampered for safety in nearby bushes, with their uniforms instantly replaced with civilian dresses and their arms laid deadened.
There are at least twenty police check-points in those areas operated by the killer-robbers, which translates to at least sixty armed policemen, excluding various police formations in the said areas and over ten mobile policemen escorting the waylaid bullion van, yet they operated, killed maimed and escaped unmolested. Similarly, because of lack of proper coordination and monitoring of motley of vigilante groups in Anambra State, they are potential armed robbers. It is safe to say that nine out of every ten armed vigilante operatives in Anambra State are potential armed robbers, potential assassins, potential kidnappers/abductors and potential militant political thugs/murderers.
There are over 177 communities’ vigilante groups for the State’s 177 communities, over 200 vigilante groups for the State’s 200 recorded markets and dozens of vigilante groups for the State’s urban residences. Notable politicians and business moguls are actually behind these vigilante groups. For instance, the Awada Vigilante Group is reportedly owned and financed by Chief Gilbert Okoye (NTU), a notorious Bakassi Boys’ chieftain. The group has earned notoriety, with impunity, in the crimes of extortion, indiscriminate arrests and unlawful detention, acts of torture and homicide. It also collects sanitation, development and security levies for Chief Okoye and handful landlords, with a hundred percent penalty against the defaulters. The AVG allegedly provides security cover for Chief Okoye wherever he goes and does other odd jobs. These vigilante groups in the State make billions of naira perannum, from which reasonable returns are reportedly made to their police protectors, and whatever evils or crimes so done or committed by them would be overlooked by the police. These explain why it takes nothing for a politician to dust up a vigilante group, change their guns from pump action guns to AK- 47 riffles, with some indoctrinations and hell will be let loose. Sometimes when sophistication is lacking, a few deadly bad eggs in the Armed Forces can be contracted and added unto them.
Our Recommendations:
We had predicted earlier that as the 2010 staggered poll drew near, the Anambra deadly politicians would arm terror gangs to kill, rob and abduct so as to create panicky situations and achieve popularity of the grave-yard. In the said bloody exercises, our high ways, banks, bus stops, churches, residences, markets and other flash points would be highly targeted. Our prophesy was predicated on the similar events of the immediate past. And on achieving these, the same deadly politicians would go to the media to misinform the world and promised zero-crime if “elected”.
Today, have we not been proved right? They have not started! The commonest nexus between “professional” or economically motivated armed robbery and politically motivated armed robbery is that, which involves heartless killing and maiming of the uninvolved citizens is substantially associated with politically motivated armed robbery. Ordinarily, armed robbers hardly kill their victims except in rare situations where their victims proved stubborn or when they are caught in a cross fire, in a populated scene. But that of Anambra is very strange but traceable. We also acknowledge the fact that professional robberies, including bank robbery do exist but a situation where a gang of armed robbers, after successfully dispossessing their victims of their belongings now turn to shooting and killing spree means a voice of Jacob but a hand of Esau.
Though, Anambra deadly politicians and their deadly foot soldiers (killer-robbers) appeared to have changed their strategies, from shooting, killing and maiming innocent citizens with their possessions intact, to “rob and kill” tactics, but their engaging in killing and maiming of innocent citizens is apparently to set the Government of Anambra State against the populace so as to rubbish the former and score popularity of the grave-yard. We are still wondering what these deadly politicians of Anambra stock, stand to gain by sanctioning the slaughtering of their fellow citizens like fowls all in the name of “politics”.
It is on these notes that we respectfully recommend as follow:
1. That since over hundred Mobile Police check-points in the State are illicit revenue oriented, urgent measures should be found to police Anambra’s 4,816 square kilometers’ territory.
2. That the State Security Council should be properly re-constituted and refocused so as to ensure round-the-clock security of lives and property of the Anambra people.
3. That the State Security Council should henceforth be meeting weekly till security situation improves, to appraise and re-appraise the State security situations with a view to taming lapses whenever and wherever they occurred.
4. That there should be a two-way efficient and effective security strategies, to be made up of intelligence and regular units of the Police, Army, SSS, Vigilante groups, etc, for under-cover security ( crime detection) and crime combat ( taming rampaging armed killer-robbers, etc).
5. That the presence of over hundred police check-points on Anambra roads must not be mistaken for adequate security presence, as with passing of a N20.00 note, a container-load of illicit firearms can easily be brought and off-loaded in the State.
6. That if it is found out that those manning strategic formations of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the State are much interested in “evil proceeds”, instead of security of the Anambra People, Your Excellency should request from their superior commanders in Abuja, for their immediate transfer out of the State.
7. Your Excellency should exercise to the fullest, Your Excellency’s constitutional power of the Chief Security Officer of Anambra State, which had been reinforced by the Supreme Court of Nigeria vide: Dr Chris Ngige VS. Inspector General of Police, 2005.
8. That vide a designated unit in the Government of Anambra State, the number of all vigilante groups operating in the State, their operatives’ identities, their sources of origin, funding, arms and practical modes of operations should be identified, recorded and administrated.
9. That it is noticed that there is high influx of commercial motorcyclists into the State due to the ongoing banning of same in some capital cities. The influx is accompanied by beg eggs, including political thugs being imported by deadly politicians for their electioneering onslaughts. As a result, all Okada riders operating in the State must be registered and issued with identity cards, with strict code of conduct, meant to tame the rising incidences of Okada accidents and Okada-oriented armed robberies. The Okada unions in the State should also be properly regulated.
10. That there should be effective patrolling and monitoring of the hot spots in the three Senatorial Districts in the State, especially all entries and exits leading into, and out of Anambra State.
11. That the Government of Anambra State should liaise with the authorities of NAUTH and other surrounding clinics so as to ascertain the number and families of the slain citizens with a view to commiserating with them, effecting their funerals and compensating their families. The Government also should pick up the hospital bills of the wounded and ensure their quick recoveries.
The argument, which might have been put up by the Government of Anambra State and the State Police Command authorities to the effect that the number of the dead and the wounded might have been over-reported or under-reported, is illogical because the morality and the law, which hold sway in our system, do not permit the shedding of human blood, not to talk of loosing scores of innocent citizens in a twinkle of an eye. The said killing spree must be fully investigated and the culprits and their accomplices brought to justice.
Yours Faithfully,
For: Intersociety – Nigeria
Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi
Chairman
Board of Trustees
Intersociety
Anambra State - Nigeria
+234-(0) 8033601078
CC:
1. President and Commander-in-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria
2. Inspector General of Police
3. Chairman, Police Service Commission
4. The Director General of SSS
5. The GOC, 82 Division, Nigeria Army, Enugu, Enugu State
6. Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly
7. The AIG, Zone 9 Command
8. Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command
9. Director of SSS, Anambra State Directorate
10. Commander, Army Artillery Regiment, Onuicha, Anambra State
11. Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission
12. Executive Director, Human Rights Watch ,New York, USA
13. Secretary General, Amnesty International ,London, UK
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