Nigerian security forces have used excessive force against
pro-Biafran protesters in south-eastern Nigeria, Amnesty
International has claimed. Lucy Freeman, senior research
adviser at Amnesty, told IBTimes UK the NGO had
documented instances of excessive force used against
protesters connected to the pro-Biafran movement.
Pro-Biafrans hold regular marches across south-eastern
Nigeria calling for independence and the release of their
leader Nnamdi Kanu . It is believed that during one of the
latest demonstrations held in Aba state on 9 February, at
least 10 people were killed by the army and police, with
footage purportedly showing Nigerian security forces
attacking pro-Biafrans being widely circulated on social
media.
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However, spokesperson for Nigerian defence, Rabe
Abubakar, told IBTimes UK the police and army did not kill
the demonstrators. He also said security forces had to
intervene as some pro-Biafrans were allegedly carrying
weapons.
"What is happening in south-eastern Nigeria is not a
conflict situation and the law enforcement model that has
been used is not appropriate," Freeman said. "It is not
appropriate to use lethal force on protesters, even in case
of a violent protest.
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"There are consistent reports of excessive use of force,
deaths and injuries of people connected to the Biafran
movement, of people in Zaria , of people in the north-east .
We are not prosecutors and we are not able to carry out a
criminal investigation, but the Nigerian government is
obligated – when there are credible and serious
allegations of human rights violations – to carry out
investigations that have to be independent, impartial and
effective. It is not enough to deny allegations and people
need to be prosecuted and brought to justice."
Freeman confirmed that an Amnesty team is on the the
ground conducting investigations into allegations of
violence and recent pro-Biafran protests. "It is a difficult
context because you have so much cover-up by the
military. In an ideal situation if someone dies by the use of
force, there should be an autopsy, some records of the
death, of arrests. What we have seen across the country is
that these kind of basic documentation and investigations
are not done."

Nnamdi Kanu
Kanu – leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob)
and director of Radio Biafra – was arrested by the State
Security Service (DSS) in Lagos in October 2015 on
conspiracy and terrorism charges, which were later
dropped.
A day after the Abuja High Court ruled he should be
released, officials pressed new treasonable felon y charges
against him, while President Muhammadu Buhari said
Kanu would not be granted bail due to the "atrocities"
allegedly committed.
Watch IBTimes UK's exclusive interviews with Kanu's wife
My husband is a prisoner of conscience
This is why we need Biafra
Kanu was kept in DSS custody until Justice John Tsoho
ruled he should be transferred to the Nigeria Prison
Service in Kuje, about 40km south-west of Abuja, so
family members could visit.
"We have seen in several cases the practice of the DSS of
arresting someone, holding them unlawfully, and when
that person challenges their detention with bail, they are
immediately charged with something else to prolong their
detention. That's unlawful detention," Freeman said.
"There are a number of people who have been detained in
connection to Boko Haram who had a similar thing
happened. The question is: To what extend is the rule of
law respected? By looking at the examples of Kanu and
other cases it seems that it is not being respected."
Nigeria's position
The spokesperson for the army and the government have
not responded to a request for comments. However, the
Nigerian government has always maintained that Nigeria's
unity is a priority for the country and that although
peaceful pro-Biafran protests are welcome, demanding the
breakaway of the Biafran territories is against the
constitution.


The government also told IBTimes UK that it does not
consider the separatist movement a threat to the current
leadership, and defined pro-Biafrans as an "insignificant
number of frustrated people who are not a threat to the
existence of Nigeria".
In several interviews with IBTimes UK, the army and the
police denied allegations of violence during pro-Biafran
protests, arguing that security forces had to intervene as
pro-Biafrans "were armed and disrupted peace in the
state".
Source

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nigeria-must-probe-serious-violence-claims-against-pro-biafrans-says-amnesty-international-1545567

C

It's like the referendum will come when kingdom come

D

The so called sophisticated people will term Amnesty IPOB

Another blow to the dullard

Go and preach your unlawful arrest to OBAMA

I have always maintained that you don't use war to end war, if you want to eliminate war you become a pro peace when you preach peace more people's minds will be occupied by peace to reason war but when you preach war may be by your actions then people's mind will be occupied by war to reason peace. Is just simple

Light of

cone heads won't like this news