The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) have
said it has enough evidence to indict
President Goodluck Jonathan and the
Security Agencies for Human Rights
Violations in the North when it files its
complaint with the International Court
of Justice (ICJ).
Accusing Nigeria’s government of
human rights violations, NEF
spokesman Ango Abdullahi said in a
Voice of America, VOA interview that
the group have been compiling
evidence through its lawyers for a
long time and that individuals,
government and its agencies have
been indicted.
“What we are doing now is to
organize our evidence that would
make it possible for us to make a very
strong case against the government
and its agencies, or up to individuals
who may be complicit, in terms of the
human rights violations that have
been taking place in the last few
years,” said Abdullahi.
He said the group has put together a
team of lawyers that has been
gathering evidence indicating that
national army soldiers were involved
in the recent killing of civilians at Baga.
“There is sufficient evidence, from our
point of view, in terms of human rights
violations that have been going on
with a lot of impunity in the last three
years or so around the activities of the
government and its agencies and
around the country,” said Abdullahi. “I
think it’s because nobody seems to
really take the matter seriously to
draw attention, not only to other
parts of the world, to the Nigerian
authorities themselves.”
But supporters of the government say
the administration is mandated to
protect unarmed civilians and resolve
the country’s internal security crisis.
They accused the NEF of failing to
engage the government in its attempt
to prevent violence, often carried out
by members of the Islamist group,
Boko Haram.
Abdullahi denies speculation that the
Elders’ Forum is in any way linked to
Boko Haram.
“We didn’t create the insurgents. It
may have been created by somebody,
but it is up to the government to
prove a case that the insurgency has
been created deliberately to cause
havoc in the country,” said Abdullahi.
“It happens that perhaps if there is
any indication … that this matter has
been politicized, it must have been
politicized by the government or its
agencies.”
Boko Haram, which is based in
Nigeria’s north, has been accused of
carrying out violent attacks in an
attempt to force the country to adopt
strict Islamic law.
Human Rights Watch says Boko
Haram-related violence has killed an
estimated 3,000 people since 2009, a
toll that includes killings by security
forces.
Abdullahi says the government has
been unable to resolve the security
threats members of Boko Haram pose
to the country.
“If this sect had been treated like
many other sects that we’ve had in
this country for many years, perhaps
we would not be where we are now,”
continued said Abdullahi, “there [have
been] thousands of people detained
in terribly inhumane conditions all
over the country. Among the
thousands of people that have been
in detention for many years now, only
one as far as I know is in court now.”
Abdullahi says the Elders group has
decided to hold the government
accountable for the extrajudicial
killings he says are sometimes carried
out by military officials.
Pointblanknews.com/pbn/exclusive/northern-elders-vow-to-nail-jonathan-at-the-icj/

the picture is getting clearer

He must fall even if it will take 15yrs

Since they are in this nailing mode, they should do well and take Babangida along on their way to the ICJ. I don't think that Dele Giwa's family will complain at all.

Elders n yet they think n behave like kids . If elders behave this way, am not surprise why north is a sht.hole

... and people wonder why I support Asari Dokubo.

Stupid brainless grumpy old men. Where have these so called elders been in the past 3 years when their sons-bokoharam have been terrorizing the nation.

They should also take Boko Barak boys to ICJ too. If not it will not work.