ONITSHA (Sundiata Post) – President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo and 22 top security and political officials or
public office holders, in addition to one “Utsman Mustafa” (representing
perpetrator-combatants or ordered shooters and killers) have been
identified as vicarious and direct perpetrators of the Military Massacre
Operations in Eastern Nigeria, according to a report sent to Sundiata
Post by Intersociety.
According to the report,
the operation was done “between 30th August 2015 and 14th September
2017; leading to gun-death of no fewer than 480 unarmed and defenseless
citizens and gun-injuring of not less than 500 others.”
The full report reads:
Technically
speaking, the vicarious perpetrators are involved having ordered,
authorized, directed and sponsored the massacre and shielded the
perpetrators from being brought to justice. On the other hand, the
direct perpetrators are involved having operationally organized,
authorized, supervised, coordinated and executed the massacre and
declined to refuse the order to do so in accordance with the fundamental
principles of the international law. The two sets of perpetrators or
offenders perpetrated and perpetuated the atrocity crimes in Nigeria in
their official capacities as public office holders or as sworn elected
public office holders and appointed top security officials of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
We had also in the course of our
investigation into the massacre identified some perpetrators as
repeat-perpetrators or repeat-atrocity perpetrators. Intersociety’s
investigation into the massacre lasted for three years or from December
2015 to December 2018. The 32 perpetrators were found to have ordered or
authorized the massacre; or organized, funded, supervised, coordinated
and executed the massacre. Others were found to have colluded in
perpetrating the massacre or refused to act to stop the massacre or
shielded or attempted to shield the perpetrators or engaged or attempted
to engage in the destruction of evidence so as to erase traces of the
atrocity crimes and culpability of the perpetrators.
Intersociety
had on Tuesday, 22nd January 2019 released the Executive Summary of its
special report (Under Buhari & Osinbajo: Many Have Gone &
Crippled for Life in Eastern Nigeria). The link to the Executive Summary
is provided here: http://intersociety-ng.org/component/k2/item/406-intersociety-begins-the-release-of-its-special-report-on-military-massacre-operations-in-eastern-nigeria.
We had also on 24th Jan 2019 released the names of the defenseless
citizens killed and shot and critically injured or crippled for life in
the military massacre operations. The link to the statement is here: http://intersociety-ng.org/component/k2/item/407-names-of-defenseless-citizens-killed–crippled-for-life-by-buhari–osinbajo-government
The
32 identified perpetrators owing to their vicarious or direct
involvement are the President, Retired Major Gen Muhammadu Buhari
(vicarious and repeat perpetrator), VP Prof Yemi Osinbajo (vicarious
perpetrator), Gov William Obiano (vicarious perpetrator), Gov Victor
Okezie Ikpeazu (vicarious perpetrator), COAS, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai
(direct and repeat perpetrator), CDS, Lt Gen Abayomi Olonisakin (direct
perpetrator), Major Gen John Enenche (direct perpetrator), former DG
SSS, Lawan Musa Daura (direct and repeat perpetrator), Retired IGP
Solomon Arase (direct perpetrator), Retired IGP Ibrahim Kpotum Idris
(direct and repeat perpetrator), Retired DIG Habila Joshak (direct and
repeat perpetrator), Michael Anthony Ogbizi (newly promoted Police DIG:
vicarious perpetrator), Major Gen Adamu Baba Abubakar (direct
perpetrator), Major Gen Ibrahim Attahiru (direct perpetrator), Major Gen
Enobong Okon Udo (direct perpetrator), AIG Hosea Karma Hassan (direct
perpetrator) and CP Johnson Babatunde Kokomo (direct perpetrator).
Others
are: Late CP Francis Mobolaji Odesanya (direct perpetrator), Brig Gen
(formerly Col) Isa Maigari Abdullahi (direct perpetrator), Brig Gen
Abdul Kalifah Ibrahim (direct perpetrator), Brig Gen E.A. Anaryo (direct
perpetrator), Brig Gen A.I. Adegboye (direct perpetrator), Brig Gen
Mark Mamman (direct perpetrator), Brig Gen I.H. Bature (direct
perpetrator), Col Sagir Musa (direct and repeat perpetrator), Col Aminu
Illiyasu (direct perpetrator), Lt Col Sidi Umar Kasim (direct and repeat
perpetrator), Lt Col C.O. Ibrahim (MP: direct perpetrator), Retired DCP
Ahmed Magaji (direct perpetrator), COMPOL Peter W. Wagbara (direct
perpetrator), Navy Captain Abdullahi Aminu (direct perpetrator) and
“Utsman Mustafa” (lead-shooter and one of the killer combatants). He is a
direct perpetrator.
Further details concerning the above named
perpetrators are scientifically and statistically provided in the four
tables attached with this statement. The information contained in the
four tables include the names of the perpetrators, their titles/ranks
and positions held as at the time the atrocity crimes were perpetrated
and their degrees of involvement in the atrocity crimes. Also included
are the appointment numbers and exit dates of the serving senior police
officers involved and those already retired as well as dates or periods
of the commission of the atrocity crimes. The electronic link to the
four tables is provided here: http://intersociety-ng.org/phocadownload/2019/jpg list of perpetrators in the military massacre operations in eastern nigeria.pdf
For
purpose of technical guidance as it concerns the news writers and
publishers and the general reading public; concise and grounded legal
definitions of victims of crime (atrocity crimes), direct and vicarious
criminal responsibility or atrocity crime perpetrators/offenders are
provided below as a guide.
Defining Victims Of Atrocity Crimes: By
the United Nations Declaration on Basic Principles of Justice for
Victims of Crimes and Abuse of Office, 1985, “Victims of Crimes are
persons, who, individually or collectively, have suffered harm including
physical or mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or
substantial impairment of their fundamental rights, through acts or
omissions that are in violation of criminal laws operative within
member-States, including those laws prohibiting abuse of power. The
victims include, where necessary, the immediate family or dependant of
the direct victim and persons who have suffered harm in intervening to
assist people in distress or to prevent victimization”.
Defining Direct & Vicarious Perpetrators Of Crimes
Perpetrators:
In the course of naming or identifying the perpetrators of the Military
Massacre Operations including the Nigerian Army Python Dance 11 in Abia
State in September 2017, vicarious and direct perpetrators were
identified.
By vicarious liability or responsibility, it is
concisely defined as the responsibility of the superiors for the acts of
their subordinates or, the responsibility of any third party that had
the “right, ability or duty to control the activities of a violator, but
failed or declined to do same.” It is also a liability assigned to an
employer or other principal for his agent’s or employee’s acts performed
in the course of employment or other duty.
By direct perpetrators,
they are perpetrators or atrocity criminals that ordered, supervised,
coordinated and executed the massacre; facilitated or attempted to
facilitate the destruction of evidence-and colluded in protecting the
command structure and rank and file culprits resulting in them not being
fished out and brought to justice or held to account for the atrocity
crimes committed.
Signed
For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
· Emeka Umeagbalasi,
Principal Official/Board Chair
· Obianuju Joy Igboeli,
Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Programme
Chinwe Umeche,
Head, Democracy & Good Governance Programme
