By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, (Intersociety) has debunked series of lies by the federal government over the Lekki Tollgate Massacre by army particularly the claim that nobody was killed by soldiers at Lekki, except blank shots fired in the air that fainted two persons’.
The group said the lies by the federal government must have been falsely premised on their belief that all the dead corpses of those they killed were taken away by soldiers whereas five dead bodies killed by the army were retrieved and buried.
Intersociety therefore went further and provided the names of at least five dead bodies of Lekki EndSARS protesters massacred, retrieved & buried by their family members.
It also commended the courage of young activist and artist – DJ-Switch’ (Obianuju Catherine Udeh) whose forensic expertise
not only gladdens their heart at Intersociety, but also offered her automatic membership including her instant elevation to a top advocacy position.
The above is the position of International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, in a statement issued today in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria and signed by its Five Principal Officers namely: Emeka Umeagbalasi (Board Chair), Chinwe Umeche, Esq., Obianuju Igboeli, Esq., Ndidiamaka Bernard, Esq., and Comrade Sam Kamanyaoku.
The statement reads:
Although lies told by the present Government of Nigeria and the country’s serving and former security chiefs since mid 2015 have damagingly ruined the country’s local and international image and reputation and will take decades to redeem, but the best way to handle serial liars in the country’s corridors of power is to consistently slap them with forensic statistics. ‘Forensic statistics’ are the researched or investigated and documented statistics gathered through natural and scientific methods following state actor or non state actor, or state backed non state actor grisly or ‘industrial scale’ human rights abuses and violations perpetrated in Nigeria or any part thereof.
Therefore, to do the above, activist Nigerians including rights and media activists, criminologists and lawyers must reduce their level of ‘synchronous’ and ‘asynchronous’ web chats and ‘debates-outside-facts’ and pay more attention to ‘investigative activism’ to unmask and document the atrocity crimes and their perpetrators which must include where, how and when the atrocity crimes were perpetrated, who perpetrated them and who and who were the victims. To be included are the videos and photos associated with the atrocity crimes which must include time, date, month and destination as well as eyewitnesses or survivors’ accounts or testimonies.
It is only when these processes are meticulously followed and archived that culpability baggage will permanently be hung around the necks of the perpetrators and moral justice done to the dead victims and the wounded whose bloods were spilled. To morally punish the serial perpetrators of the atrocity crimes in Nigeria or any part thereof and make them to internationally and permanently wear pariah sack clothes, their atrocities must be forensically investigated and archived as in law and criminology, ‘no crime is perpetrated unless it is forensically investigated and archived or documented’. Unless a crime is properly investigated and archived, otherwise the perpetrator of the crime is technically set free forever.
Nigerian Government & Nigerian Army Are Serial Liars:
The lies told by the present Government of Nigeria and the country’s Army as well as heads of other security agencies have reached a maddening proportion, to the extent that even when the Lekki Army massacre has borne practical characteristics of incontrovertible culpability and soaked in natural and scientific facts, they are still denying. Lying against the dead is culturally abominable in Nigeria, yet they have unrepentantly lied and are still lying against them. They also parade themselves as “Honorables” and “Excellencies”, yet their common salutation is lying, to the extent that their lies have now gone to international borders.
Government Thought It Took Away All The Dead Bodies It Massacred At Lekki
Lies by the Nigerian Government and the country’s Army to the effect that ‘nobody was killed by soldiers at Lekki, except blank shots fired in the air that fainted two persons’, must have been falsely premised on their belief that all the dead corpses of those they killed were taken away by soldiers whereas contrary was the case. As a matter of fact, the Nigerian Army, Government of Lagos State and the lying expert Minister of Information have probated and reprobated repetitively on Lekki Army massacre. So far, they have told more than seven lies in connection with same massacre and are still lying.
Names of At Least Five Dead Bodies Of Lekki Massacre Retrieved & Buried
(1) Late Miss Chizoba Francisca Agu. She was a member of EndSARS protest at Lekki Tollgate and among those shot and killed in the late evening of 20th Oct 2020 by soldiers operationally commanded by Lt Col S. O. Bello (Commanding Officer of 65 Battalion, Bonny Camp). The Commanding Officer was backed in his butchery mission by Brig Gen Musa Etsu-Ndagi, Commander, 9 Brigade, Lagos and Brig Gen Ahmed Taiwo, Commander, 81 Division Intelligence, Lagos. Late Francisca Agu was buried in her family home on 4th Nov 2020 in Nkpologwu-Ibenda, Obollo Eke Community in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
(2) Late Miss Lucy Oghenegueke Audu was a member of Lekki Tollgate EndSARS protest and among those shot and killed by soldiers at Lekki Tollgate. She was buried on Nov 3, 2020 in her family home at Igbere Street, Okpara Inland, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.
(3) Late Chidiebere Umeojiako was involved in the EndSARS protest at Lekki Tollgate and among those shot and killed by soldiers. He was buried on 12th Nov 2020 in his family home at Umugama Village, Umuchu Community in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State
(4) Late Barth Ani was the son of a popular bookshop owner at Onitsha Main Market, dealing on ‘Catholic Stationeries’. His late son was also dealing on stationeries in Lagos State and was involved in EndSARS protest at Lekki Tollgate where he was among those shot and killed by soldiers. Late Barth Ani hailed from Akugo-Eze Community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
(5) Late Felix John Ormye was involved in EndSARS protest at Lekki Tollgate where he was among those shot and killed by soldiers. His remains were taken home by his family for burial on 12th Nov 2020. He hailed from Mbagun-Mbayongo in Adamgbe, Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State. These are just to mention but a few.
Shot & Injured Activists/Survivors:
In a 28-paragrapgh court affidavit attached to a petition she submitted to the Lagos State Judicial Commission of Enquiry on SARS atrocities & related others, Ms Kamsiyochukwu Perpetual, a survivor of Lekki Army massacre and participant in the EndSARS protest in Lagos, gave 22 names as those shot and wounded by soldiers at Lekki Tollgate. They included Abiola Esther, RFK, Lekan Williams, Felix Nandip, Adams Moses, Akinyele Damilola, Samuela lordyom, Emmanuel John, Isaac Amede, Charles Uzoma, Raymond Simon Abah, Samuel Anthony, Andrew Ugochukwu, Bobby Mmaduka, Moses Oyi, Emmanuel George, Nelson Andrew, Sheriff Akande, Chigozie Chukwujekwu, Damilola Adedayo and Bakare Michael (12 years old). For more information regarding this paragraph, see here Punch Newspaper of 16th Nov 2020: https://punchng.com/lekki-shootings-i-saw-corpse-with-bullet-torn-head-protester-tells-panel/
Lekki Army Massacre-A Premeditated Mass Murder
The “hoodlum theory” used by the Nigerian Army and Federal Government to attempt to escape culpability and justify their grisly crimes is laughable and dead on arrival. The two authorities have also failed to provide Nigerians and the int’l community with credible statistics showing the number of public and other strategic properties burnt or destroyed or looted in Lagos before 20th Oct 2020. That is to say that it was the Army massacre at Lekki Tollgate on 20th Oct 2020 that triggered off the violent dimension of the protests across the country. This was in addition to mayhem caused by Government allied Islamic hoodlums who engaged in wanton destruction of properties of law abiding citizens residing in their areas as well as killing of scores of EndSARS protesters and their supporters; with the same Government looking the other side. It is therefore correct to say that the Lekki Army massacre was a premeditated mass murder.
DJ-Switch’ (Obianuju Catherine Udeh) Deserves Our Automatic Membership
Finally, the courage and forensic expertise of the above named young activist and artist not only gladdens our heart at Intersociety, but also we are ready to offer her our automatic membership including her instant elevation to a top advocacy position after she must have been tutored on the workings of our Organization. We salute her courage and urge others to emulate her. Her role is undeniably internationally award winning.
