PRESS RELEASE
Once again, it
emerged about 8 people were on Friday 20/09/2013 indiscriminately killed in an
uncompleted building supposedly belonging to an Army General at Bamanga Tukur
Street, Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja, by Nigeria’s Security Operatives. This
déjà vu, finger-pointing is playing out 8 years after the infamous unprovoked
extra-judicial killing of some Igbo traders by overzealous Policemen in what
became popularly known as ‘’Apo 6 massacre’’.
Ms. Marilyn Ogar,
Nigeria’s State Security Service spokesperson claims those killed were Boko
Haram members while eyewitness account and confessions from survivors assert
that the victims were a mish mash of destitute comprising of Tricycle Operators
(popularly called Keke/Maruwa), truck pushers, scavengers, ‘pure’ water vendors
amongst others.
While we hold no iota
of brief for the activities of Boko Haram and their ilk’s, we strongly decry a
penchant for Government Security Operatives to wantonly gun down supposed
suspects without first ascertaining their culpability or extracting sensitive
information from them. A while ago, alleged Ombatse Cult suspects were
summarily hacked to death in Nasarawa state, now it is suspected Boko Haram
members in Abuja.
The issue of the 60 bodies that were reportedly
sighted floating on Ezu River in Amensea, Anambra State
is yet to be unraveled. Who knows whose turn it will be tomorrow? We profoundly
believe in the sanctity and right to life of innocent Nigerians irrespective of
their ethnicity, religious and political affiliations. Life expectancy in
Nigeria will continue to shrink if such blanket killings are not checked.
Typical of events in
Nigeria, this latest incident must not be swept under the carpet. We call for a
meticulous investigation of this incident and prosecution of the remote and
direct masterminds of this act if it is ascertained that they overstepped their
bounds.
Some
poser: are the inhabitants of this uncompleted building
truly Boko Haram members? Have they earlier been warned by the owner of the
building to vacate the premises or risk extermination? Who gave the SSS a
tip-off that Boko Haram members occupy the said building? The public will also
like to know how many of the Security personnel that carried the brutish
Operation sustained injuries or died in the process since the occupants of the
building were said to be armed.
How about Nigeria’s
Security Agencies cordoning off the said uncompleted building; use a public
address system to warn the occupants to come out, surrender or risk being shot?
Is it only offices of breakaway factions of political parties that these
geezers know how to cordon off? It beggars belief that the Security agencies
will throw caution to the wind and storm a building where supposed terrorists
are hiding without considering the inherent risk to their own life.
It is this same
unnecessary gung-ho, kamikaze approach that led to the Ombatse Cult killing 95
of their folks earlier this year. A
while ago, a group that goes by the moniker ‘Egbesu Mightier Strike Force’ reportedly issued a 7 days ultimatum
to the Muslim community in their domain to leave or risk massive attack. The
Security Agencies must look in this direction if they are bored.
A penchant for
extra-judicial killing of suspects and innocent people invariably creates
mutual distrust, hate and dichotomy between the security agencies and the
citizenry that are supposed to volunteer nuggets of sensitive information. Such
a proclivity is definitely counter-productive to the fight against insecurity
and terrorism. No wonder people failed to volunteer useful information
aftermath of the killing of SSS and Police officers by the Ombatse.
We immensely
appreciate and commend the sacrifices, unconventional and precarious nature of
the onerous task that Nigeria’s Security Agencies are encumbered with in their
fight against insurgents and terrorists. We respectfully implore them to stick
to international best practices, be less pugnacious, very discerning and
surgical, more proactive and invest more resources in intelligence gathering so
as to nip insecurity and terrorism in the bud.
Due diligence and
utmost care must be factored in before embarking on such operations so as to
forestall indiscriminately gunning down innocent people or operatives
endangering their own lives in the guise of fighting terrorism. With all due
respect, Nigeria’s Security Establishments must not metamorphose into
terrorists in the guise of fighting terrorists.
Rather than chit-chat
paper-tiger committees, we humbly reiterate that it is high time Nigeria
articulated a ‘’Coherent and Comprehensive Terrorism, Counter-terrorism
Policy/Strategy’’. Since it has become a fad for terrorists and
insurgents to target schools, churches and other public institutions,
security-conscious individuals, private and public establishments in Nigeria
must proactively carry out sporadic ‘’Extensive
Vulnerability/Resilience Analysis and Security
Audit’’ of their domain and take appropriate steps to nip insecurity in the
bud. The recent bombing of a popular
shopping mall in Kenya must be an eye-opener.
Let us not wait until
after the rainfall to start bringing out kegs to fetch rain water. Please let
us give peace a chance. Peace is a sine qua non for development. No country or
individual will actualize its/his potentials in a miasma of insecurity and
unpredictability. Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity and Terrorism. See it, hear it, say
it, stop it!!!
God bless Nigeria and
Nigerians!
Signed
Don Okereke
NIGERIANS
UNITE AGAINST INSECURITY AND TERRORISM (NUAIT)
Email:
donnuait@yahoo.com, Telephone: +2347080008285
No comments:
Post a Comment