From Jude Owuamanam, Managing Editor, Northern Operations
ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), has said that it is not an accident of history that the now suspended quit order given to Ndigbo living in the North by Arewa Youths and the ‘Operation Egwu Eke’ (Operation python dance II) launched by the military to supposedly flush out undesirable elements from the South East came at the same time.
Rather, the group said that it was part of a planned and carefully orchestrated progrom against the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria.
Intersociety said that the military acting as state actors found willing tools and collaborators in the Arewa youths, also acting as the non-State actors to carry out Rwanda-style genocide against the South East.
Intersociety said this in a statement sent to Sundiata Post on Monday, entitled, ‘Exposing The Dangers In State and Non State Actors’ Involvement In Anti Igbo Genocidal Threats And Military Fatwa In Southeast Nigeria’.
The group said that, “The simultaneous involvement by the Arewa Youths/Northern Elders’ Forum (non-State actor) and the present Federal Government of Nigeria and its security establishments (State actor) all headed and controlled by members of the Muslim dominated Northern Nigeria; in the recent anti-Igbo genocidal threats and military invasion and fatwa in the Southeast Nigeria or Igbo heartland is not only gravely dangerous but also from all intents and purposes; a prepared, predetermined and collectively endorsed ethnic and religious pogrom programme prepared by the named State and non-State actors; which appeared to have been copied after the anti-Tutsi genocidal policies and programmes in Rwanda and Burundi.”
The statement, which was signed by the board chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi; Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Programme, Obianuju Igboeli and Head, Int’l Justice and Human Rights Programme, Ndidiamaka Bernard, said that the duo found solace in “the unhidden roles of the Great Britain and other western musketeers including USA which have found Nigeria and its State as a new dumping ground and big buyer of their small arms and light weapons (SALWs) as well as aerial attack and mass destruction weapons.”
The statement said, “As a matter of fact, what Great Britain represents; by its conspiratorial roles in the present military, genocidal and annihilative buildup against Nigeria’s oldest ethnic nationality with largest Christian population; was exactly what the French authorities and other western musketeers including the same Great Britain represented in Rwanda during its 1994 genocide. It is recalled that Republic of France was a leading complicit in the Rwandan Genocide; especially before and during the genocide.
“We had in our previous public statements following these clear signs of genocide; primarily targeted at the Igbo race and their South-south neighbours, but secondarily expected to consume the entire country, if erupted, called on members of the international community to activate and operationalise their early warning system and preventive diplomacy over the looming genocide and its danger signals in Nigeria. We had also warned that the United Nations and the African Union with all their humanitarian agencies and budgets put together would not contain and curtail the number of refugees and internally displaced persons and their health consequences and complications; if the country, with total human population of 175 million was or is to be engulfed in genocidal internal conflict.
“We still make bold to say that if this is allowed to happen, not even the western musketeers who are suppliers of mass weapons at night and makers of peace/donors of humanitarian aids/funds in the day; will be spared. The humanitarian crisis arising from the imminent Nigerian genocide will be too catastrophic and far reaching for them to handle or contain. We also reminded and still remind them of the histories of the intra State violent conflicts of the immediate past whereby those entrusted with formal control of instruments of violence; but got them misused and misapplied, ended up in exile or as refugees or in death with justice accountability for atrocities they committed or perpetrated against their own people in office placed on them while living or after death.
“Instances abound in Liberia, where the Armed Forces of Liberia under Samuel Doe, later became moribund and got replaced; in Sierra Leone, where the Armed Forces of Sierra Leone under Joseph Saidu Momoh; later after its brutal civil war, got radically restructured; in former Soviet Union where the Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics got collapsed and disbanded on account of the country‘s disintegration into 15 States; occasioned by the policy of perestroika and glasnost; engineered by then President Mikhail Gorbachev way back in 1987; and in former Yugoslavia under Slobodan Milosevic and Stjepan Mesic where their armed forces, dominated by Serbs got collapsed and disbanded. This is to mention but few.
“We had expected the present Federal Government in Nigeria, headed by Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari to adhere strictly to the provisions of the existing Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, especially in accordance with its Section 14 (2) (b) (State protection of all citizens and provision of security and welfare to them) and Chapter Four, particularly its Sections 40 (right to freedom of association and assembly), 41 (right to freedom of movement and residence in any part of Nigeria), 42 (right to freedom from discrimination) and 43 (right to acquire and own immoveable property anywhere in Nigeria).
“We had also expected the Buhari Administration to beef up both unseen and seen security presence in all parts of Northern Nigeria especially in the host settlement areas of the Northern Zone where over 11.4 million Igbo and other people of old Eastern Nigeria reside, work, study, worship or trade. The expected but failed security beef up in Northern Nigeria and in Igbo and other Easterners’ settlements was and is still direly expected considering the nearness of the expiration of the referenced Arewa Youths/Northern Elders’ genocidal quit notice (1st October). The issuers of the June 2017 genocidal threats against the Igbo/old Eastern Nigerian Region population in Northern Nigeria and their sponsors also ought to have been arrested and put on trial. Sadly and wickedly, the reverse has become the case; leading to issuance of military fatwa and flooding of the ancestral Igbo heartland with battalions of soldiers and armed police personnel by the present central Government. As matter of fact, the latest military buildup in Southeast and South-south areas of Nigeria is a clear case of official issuance of further genocidal threats against members of the Igbo Race right inside their ancestral citadel by the Buhari Administration.
“As if that was not enough, the same Federal Government yesterday exposed its “genocidal plan B” by deliberately garrisoning and shooting in the direction and location of the palace of Prince Nnamdi Kanu’s father with military tanks and truck-loads of armed soldiers so as to provoke the disillusioned, disenchanted and angered unarmed supporters and friends of the pro-Biafra movement leader. This was done for the purpose of provoking the youths into group and reprisal violence with sticks and clubs so as to find ground to massacre them and unleash widespread violence and genocide against innocent and defenseless Igbo population in their places of worship, relaxation, trade, mobility, meeting, etc. Citizen Nnamdi Kanu who the genocidal soldiers also reportedly attempted to abduct is presently on Court bail with his matter expected to resume on 17th October 2017.”
Intersociety expressed angst that till date, it never and has not occurred to the present Federal Government that it is steadily breeding another insurgency in Nigeria by its radical and militarised policies and approaches against the Igbo race, adding “Those obeying and carrying out Mr. President’s genocidal orders against the People of the Southeast and South-south Regions are also so subdued, deafened and conscienceless that they cannot strongly advise the same President to stop henceforth from endangering the lives and security of over 174 million people of Nigeria.
“Today, barrages of attack from all fronts against the Igbo Race/Christian populations in Nigeria abound. Members of the Igbo Race are facing the central government’s structural violence and its formal security establishments’ attacks (regime violence and atrocities). At the level of non-State actor; also come Jihadist attacks from the government security agencies’ backed terrorist Fulani herdsmen; who go on rampage with alarming and shocking alacrity; killing and maiming the Igbo rural population as well as abducting and raping of their women and children; destruction of Igbo farm crops and violent possession of their lands,” the statement said.
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