TheNewsGuru

Tag: Killings

  • Manbilla Killings: Rights group drags Taraba Governor, Ishaku, Speaker to ICC

    The International Criminal Court (ICC), has been asked to investigate Taraba state governor, Architect Darius Ishaku over the incessant killing in the state.

    According to a criminal complaint petition written against the governor to the ‎ Office of Madame Fatou Bensouda, t‎he Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC), in Hague, Netherlands, the governor and some other top government officials in the state were accused of not doing enough to halt the killings.

    In the petition, written by a civil society organization, ‎Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC), through its attorney, ‎‎Alexandra Thome, the CSO also joined the‎
    Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, Mr. Abel Diah and Chairman of Sardauna Local Government Area, Mr. John Yep, as co-accused persons.

    In the petition, the ICC Prosecutor was asked to obtain International Arrest Warrants for the accused persons from the ICC in accordance with Articles 58 (1) (a), 58 (1) (b) (i), 58 (1) (b) (ii) and 58 (1) (b) (iii) and proceed to arrest the Accused Persons so they can face their trial and also‎ compels them upon conviction to pay compensation to the victims of genocide at Mambilla Plateau in the sum of $1,000,000,000 as punitive damages.

    The petition was written following a bloody clash which started on 17th June, 2017 between the Nguroje community and herdsmen at the Mambilla Plateau neighbourhood in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.

    The clash has led to the brutal slaughtering of over 300 children, pregnant women with their unborn babies and elderly persons who were too weak to escape from their assailants.

    SHAC said in the petition, ‘Also, a total of about 17, 000 cattle were killed while several houses and villages were burnt around the area. Indeed, what became most worrisome to our client in recent time is the scale, extent and manner of the carnage, as people and animals are being killed in the most barbaric nature by irate mobs claiming to be the indigenes of Mambilla Plateau.

    “Available records show that the mobs were protesting the arrest of a suspected criminal by the police and decided to launch co-ordinated attacks on Fulani cattle breeders”.
    SHAC also said, “Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is obvious that crimes against humanity have been committed on the territory of Nigeria, thereby clothing the ICC with unfettered jurisdiction to investigate, arrest and try the persons involved in the attacks alongside Taraba State Government in accordance with Section 12 and 13 of the Rome Statute.

    “It is rather disheartening to note that Nigeria is still battling with corruption in the judiciary after over 56 years of independence, thereby giving opportunity to certain powerful but unscrupulous elements to keep getting away with evil machinations against humanity.

    There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigerian judiciary is incapable of providing the needed solution to the raging crisis at Mambilla Plateau at the moment.

    “To that extent, the solution lies with the ICC being the last hope of the common man to swiftly swing into action by offering an arena for investigation and hearing for the sake of justice, equity and fair play.

    We take solace in Article 15 (3) of the Rome Statute which qualifies this Criminal Complaint by itself as constituting “a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation” and mete out appropriate sanctions based on the prima facie cases of genocide, aiding and abetting illicit killings at Mambilla Plateau already established herein”

  • The killings in Ajegunle are too much- Daddy Showkey laments

    Nigerian dancehall singer, Daddy Showkey who is known for his association with Ajegunle has called on the government to intervene in the ongoing spate of killings in the suburb. The vocal entertainer made the call via his Instagram page.

    Showkey whose real name is John Asiemo posted a graphic photo of a badly massacred person adding that: “It is getting too much”.

    According to him, the murdered young man was killed on July 9, 2017.

    “The killings in Ajegunle are too much and no one is doing anything about it. Are we not in Lagos or are we not in Nigeria? Please do something to help us.

    “We are trying to give Ajegunle a good name and some stupid idiots are busy killing our youths in Ajegunle. I am begging the Nigerian authority to come to the aid of the people of Ajegunle now before they will kill every growing youth in Ajegunle. This young man was killed 3 days ago on the 9th of July,2017. They will never stop us from doing what we are doing for Ajegunle” Showkey said.

     

    Ajegunle is a neighbourhood located in the heart of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun local government area of Lagos.

    Ajegunle’s uniqueness lies in the fact that it is a concentration of all the many ethnic groups in Nigeria. It is bordered on the west by Apapa Wharf and Tincan, two of Nigeria’s biggest seaports through which over 70 percent of imported goods come into the country.

     

     

     

     

  • Reps summon service chiefs, defence minister, IGP, over incessant kidnappings, killings

    Worried by the incessant cases of indiscriminate killings and kidnappings in the country, the House of Representatives on Thursday summoned service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris,to explain what they have been doing to curtail the ugly trend.

    The service chiefs summoned included the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.

    They will appear before the House in company with the Minister of Defence, Brig. Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (retd.) and the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello-Dambazau (retd.), on Tuesday, next week.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the summons extends to the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.) and the Director General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Lawal Daura.

    The House passed a resolution on the summons after debating a motion on rising kidnapping incidents in the country, particularly along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway and in Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency of Kaduna State.

    The motion was moved by the House Minority Whip, Mr. Yakubu Barde.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that a member of the House from Kano State, Mr. Garba Umar-Durbunde, was on Tuesday last week abducted and held for almost 48 hours.

    He was set free after reportedly coughing out N10m to his abductors.

    Barde narrated another recent incident involving “one Mrs. Sara Amos, her son, Jesse, and a family member, Mr. Isaac Michael,” who were kidnapped on June 2.

    He disclosed that in their bid to escape, the kidnappers killed “a member of the local vigilance team named Yakubu Adamu.”

    Barde added that the kidnappers had made a ransom demand of N20m.

    The House noted, “The activities of the kidnappers are becoming nightmarish for the people who can no longer go to their farms freely, with the obvious consequences of shortage of food that will result in hunger and untold hardship.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that on May 25, six students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, were kidnapped by gunmen.

    The six students are Peter Jonah; Isiaq Rahmon; Adebayo George; Judah Agbausi; Pelumi Phillips; and Farouq Yusuf.

    The House had passed a similar resolution, asking the IGP to secure the release of the students but they have yet to be set free.

    The IGP has however said rescue mission was ongoing to secure the release of the abducted students.

  • Osinbajo invites IGP over Southern-Kaduna killings

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has summoned the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, to Aso Rock Villa for explanations.

    A source in the Presidency, who is privy to the invitation of the police leadership, told Sunday Vanguard that government was unhappy with the fresh killing of 21 persons in the troubled Southern Kaduna last week.

    The source said Osinbajo wanted explanations from the police chief and what needed to be done to halt killings in the area.

    The meeting between the Acting President and the IGP came amid reports that the Presidency had ordered security measures, including the deployment of 15, 285 policemen in Southern Kaduna.

    One of the top sources familiar with the meeting said, “The immediate outcome of the IGP’s meeting with the Acting President was the intensification and adoption of a set of additional security measures that would help contain the situation.

    “Besides, deploying over 15000 cops to the area, It was also learnt that the police high command has now concluded arrangements for the establishment of a new Police Squadron in Kafanchan, Kaduna, as part of broad measures adopted to curb the violence.

    “A total of 18 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and a unit of Belarus-trained police Special Forces have been deployed to Southern Kaduna.

    “The police, in addition, have now increased helicopter surveillance in the entire area to prevent a recurrence of violence in the communities”.

     

  • IG disagrees with CAN over number of people killed in Southern Kaduna crises

    IG disagrees with CAN over number of people killed in Southern Kaduna crises

    Abuja – The Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr Ibrahim Idris, has disagreed with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), on the number of people killed in the Southern Kaduna crises.

    The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan had alleged that the unrest in Southern Kaduna had claimed over 808 lives, in 53 villages in the area.

    But Idris disputed the claim in Abuja on Sunday at the New Year dinner organised by the Nigeria Police Force for its personnel.

    He stressed the need for religious, community and political leaders to be patriotic in their endeavors for peace to reign in the country.

    The IG cautioned Nigerians to avoid unnecessary tension which could lead to destruction of lives and property. He said that Nigerians had no other country than Nigeria, hence the need to do those things that would bring peace and unity to the country.

    Idris advised Nigerians to live in peace with one another in spite of religious and ethnic differences. He commended officers and men of the force for their commitment to providing security to all Nigerians across the country.

    Idris restated the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to providing adequate security without bias to any section of the country.

  • SERAP drags FG to UN over Southern Kaduna killings

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned Ms. Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, urging her to “prevail on the Nigerian authorities to halt further killings of innocent citizens in Southern Kaduna.”

    The group also demanded investigation into recent alleged killing of over 800 citizens, mostly women, children and the elderly in that part of the country by suspected herdsmen, and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and to provide reparations to victims.

    The organization also asked Ms. Callamard to “request to visit Nigeria to conduct fact-finding mission into the circumstances surrounding the killings.”

    In the petition dated 30th December, 2016 and signed by SERAP executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization expressed “concern that the killings of citizens in Southern Kaduna of Nigeria amount to serious violations of the rights to life; to security of the human person; to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being; and right to property guaranted by not only the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) but also the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”

    The petition reads in part: “SERAP contends that Nigerian authorities have failed and/or neglected to respect these human rights and to exercise due diligence to ensure that these rights are not violated by private individuals such as herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators. Nigerian government should therefore be held to account for failing or neglecting to guarantee and protect the rights of the people in Southern Kaduna, regardless of whether such violations are directly or indirectly attributable to the state or its officials.

    “SERAP is concerned that the Nigerian government has failed and/or neglected to create an environment in Southern Kaduna to end the unlawful killings by failing to move their legal and institutional machinery towards the actual realisation of these rights. It is in fact the failure by the government to take adequate measures to prevent the violence which has contributed to the increasing number of victims.

    “SERAP believes that the killings would not have taken place if the Nigerian authorities have taken measures to prevent their happening and to address persistent impunity of those responsible for the violations and abuses. The lack of accountability for the attacks by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators across the country has continued to create a culture of impunity which clearly is not compatible with the rule of law in a democratic society.

    “According to the leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan in Kaduna State, a total of 808 people were killed in 53 villages across the four local governments areas in the state ridden by crisis.

    The church leaders also said that 57 people were injured; farm produce estimated at N5.5 billion were also destroyed, and a total of 1,422 houses and 16 churches were burnt during the attacks. The affected communities are spread across Kaura, Sanga, Jama’a and Kauru Local Government Areas where there had been persistent attacks on communities by gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen.”

    SERAP therefore urged Ms. CALLAMARD to prevail on the Nigerian authorities to: “Take measures to urgently secure the right to life, right to security and dignity of the human person and right to property of citizens in Southern Kaduna, and to prevent further attacks and killings by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators;

    “Carry out an effective investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killings and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and to provide reparations to victims;

    “Provide a framework of security for the protection of life, and to protect the lives of those individuals at risk from unlawful attacks in Southern Kaduna;

    “Provide for an effective remedy and reparation for the victims.‎”