MAJ.-GEN. TUKUR BURATAI WITH HIS NEW RANK CAP OF LT.-GEN, AT THE
PRESIDENTIAL VILLA IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY (13/8/15).
5931/13/8/2015/ICE/CH/NAN
By Raphael Onyekachukwu
Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN) has filed a complaint before the Prosecutor’s of International Criminal Court justice, Hague in Netherlands against massacres and extra judicial killings by the Nigeria military in the cities of Onitsha, Anambra State and Zaria, Kaduna State.
It calls for investigation and prosecution of Nigeria Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai, for ordering the military, 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, to shot protesters at sight Governors of Anambra and Kaduna states, Willy Obiano and Mallam El Rufai respectively for their accomplices in the crime against humanity..
The President of CRRAN, Olu Omotayo Esq stated that the continued massacres and extra judicial killings by the Nigeria military on orders of Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai was committed as part of a widespread/ systematic attack directed against a civilian population.
The civil society organsiation who called the urgent intervention of the International Criminal Court to stop further killings of the civilian populace, noted that there is no local remedy as the practice in Nigeria is that the military is above the law hence no Federal or state government statement halting or condemning the massacres by the military.
The filed complaint reads:
“Onitsha killings: on 8th December 2015, the Military Joint Task Force opened fire on innocent Pro-Biafra protesters, killing 9 people, while 18 others sustained serious injuries. 5, out of the 9, killed, died at the Niger Bridge, 3 at Obodoukwu Road and a hawker was also killed by stray bullet.
“On 17th December 2015, the Nigerian military killed some jubilating members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Onitsha, Anambra State. It was gathered that the soldiers attached to the 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Anambra State shot at defenseless citizens who were celebrating the decision of a Federal High Court Abuja, which granted unconditionally release of the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, killing five instantly and injuring 25 others.
“13 critically injured members of the public, who were shot dead and critically injured by the soldiers of the Onitsha Military Cantonment in the evening of December 17, 2015, at the Ojukwu Gateway, Onitsha Niger Bridge-head, were taken away to unknown destination by soldiers of the Cantonment.
CRRAN said Nigerian Army haven confirmed it arrested the leader of the Shia Muslim, Ibrahim El-Zazaky, and his wife, after killing many of them earlier, it said the killings are violations of the fundamental rights to life guaranteed under Section 33, of the Nigeria Constitution, 1999 (as amended). “It is also a crime against humanity and also pursuant to Article 7(1)(a) it is a crime against humanity of murder, such it is part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population.
The perpetrators of the heinous crime against humanity in both incidents which is General Tukur Buratai, who ordered the killing and the late night military raid on the home of the Shia leader; the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam El Rufai, who expressly supported the raid and the demolition of the Shia headquarters which resulted in massive loss of lives on the pretext that the Shia headquarters has no approved Certificate of Occupancy, Governor Obiano who setup the JTF that killed protesters should be trailed for crime against humanity of murder.
