Group reveals formations of security forces responsible for killings in Eastern Nigeria

Wed, Feb 2, 2022
By editor
3 MIN READ

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By Kennedy Nnanami

THE International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, InterSociety, has exposed the formations of the security forces responsible for the killings in Eastern Nigeria. This is contained in the executive summary of the report released by the group in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, on January 19, 2022.

According to the report by the group, “The NPF formations where the killings had occurred included Police ‘IRT’ or “Intelligence Response Team” (i.e. Tiger Base in Owerri and FCIB Abattoir in Abuja), Force CID’s STS (‘Special Tactical Squad’ and CTU (Counter Terrorism Unit), Abuja; Police SWAT (formerly Police Special Anti Robbery Squad), Police Anti Kidnapping and Police Criminal Investigation Department formations located in the East and Abuja as well as the Nigerian Army formations in the East, including those in Ohafia, Aba, Asa, Obinze, Onitsha, Ogoja, Uyo, Calabar, Asaba, Abakiliki and Enugu and others such as the Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja and Army’s secret detention facilities in Niger, Keffi (in Nasarawa State), Benue, Kaduna, FCT, etc.“

“Other security agencies responsible for abduction of unnamed citizens of Eastern Nigeria and their custodial killings or disappearances include Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force and the State Security Services. While the Nigerian Navy uses its facilities located at Owerre-Nta in Abia State, Ogbaru in Anambra State and Uyo and Calabar in Akwa Ibom and Cross River to abduct, detain, torture, starve with possibility of scores being killed in their custody, DSS abducts and secretly holds its captives for several months or one year and above in its various secret facilities amidst physical and psychological torture and other deprivations and without legitimate judicial processes including legitimate court trials,” the group said.

The Nigerian Air Force was not left behind as the group stated that the NAF “also uses its facilities in Enugu and Owerri, etc to perpetrate same heinous crimes, including late May 2021 massive looting at Enyiogugu Market Square at Mbaise and shooting to death by its 211 Regiment in Owerri of a German based Igbo man, Oguchi Unachukwu on June 1, 2021 at Sam Mbakwe Airport,” the group said.

 Meanwhile, InterSociety has described the death of 300 security operatives and 100 opposition armed men as lawful. This was stated in the report released by the group in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, on the 19th of January 2022.

The group said that following the provisions of the International Laws of Armed Conflict and its relevant principles, ‘deaths arising from battlefields involving state actor and non-state actor combatants in clear exchange of gun battle are referred to as “legitimate deaths” and are excluded from “war crimes” and related atrocities.

The group, which had accused the security forces of being responsible for some of the extra-judicial killings in eastern part of the country, also exonerated the security forces of some of the deaths in the said region, stating that it was  “legitimate death”

However, the InterSociety group explained that the International Laws of Armed Conflict and its relevant principles disallows and forbids killing of civilians and burning or bombing of their homes and sacred places of worship and learning or destruction of their symbols of worship and livelihoods.

“Forbidden too are killing of the wounded opposition combatants or killing in custody of surrendered or arrested armed opposition or state actor combatants,” the report added.

KN

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