INTERNATIONAL IGBO HEROES’ REMEMBRANCE DAY MASSACRE: BUHARI &
OBIANO AT IT AGAIN!
(Onitsha Nigeria, 30 of May 2016) – Barely five hours after our latest
scorecard on one year in office of the Buhari Administration was released,
torrential calls came to us concerning the massacre of innocent and unarmed
citizens in three locations in Anambra State today. The locations are Nkpor,
Ifite-Dunu, and Nnewi. Those responsible for the latest massacre just like those
of 2nd and 17th of December 2015 are members of the Anambra State Joint
Security Taskforce, constituted by Governor Willie Obiano in his capacity as the
chief security officer of Anambra State, who are answerable to General
Muhammadu Buhari in his capacity as the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian
Armed Forces.
Personnel of the Onitsha Military Cantonment under Colonel Issah Abdullahi
and the Nigeria Police Force, Anambra State Command, under CP Hosea
Karma participated in the massacre. Also participated are reinforcement
detachments from the 82nd Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu as well as
personnel of the Delta State Police Command who blocked the Abraka end of
Asaba in Delta State. They were reportedly under a firm directive from Gen
Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency; supervised by the Obiano administration to
“crush the procession at all costs”.
From detailed information available to us, 30 of May of every year is a day set
aside since 1966 as “International Igbo Heroes’ Day Celebration” in honour of
all those that died for the cause and emancipation of Igbo Ethnic Nationality in
Nigeria. The event is also marked in over thirty countries across the world. In
solidarity with the event, all the major markets in Onitsha and environs were
closed by traders in support of the event. It was on account of this that leading
Igbo Self Determination movements including IPOB and MASSOB designated
today in Anambra State to mark it with prayer session and observation of
minutes of silence for their slain compatriots. Following this, the leadership of
IPOB worldwide wrote the commissioner of police Anambra State Command, Mr.
Hosea Karma, to notify the command of its intention to hold prayer session near
the Nkpor-Umuoji Road Government Motor Park, in Nkpor, Idemili North LGA of
Anambra State.
Following the receipt of the letter, the commissioner of police for Anambra
State, Mr. Hosea Karma, instead of inviting the signatories to the letter or their
representatives to agree on modalities for the prayer procession to mark the
International Igbo Heroes’ Remembrance Day or alternatively respond publicly
to same concretely; the notification letter was used by the addressee to plot
violence of alarming magnitude against the unarmed and nonviolent self
determination activists; leading to massive deployment of heavy security
personnel and dead weapons. Inter-service agency meetings were further held
and strategies mapped out against the IPOB and MASSOB planned prayer
procession. The latter, banking on its notification letter, was taken unawares
and ambushed; with its innocuous letter turning into “an invitation for state
violence”.
Heavy shootings and blockades by soldiers and police started in the late night
of 29 of May 2016 during which St Edmund Catholic Church situated along
Umuoji Road were invaded by soldiers of the Onitsha Military Cantonment in the
hours of the blue law, between 1.30am and 2am, leading to opening of fire on
some IPOB and MASSOB members who arrived late night of 29 of May and
sought to catch some sleep before 12noon of today, fixed for the prayer session
and observation of minutes of silence for their fallen heroes. The Church is a
stone throw from the venue of the botched event. Scores of others were shot
and taken away by soldiers to Onitsha Army Barracks.
Soldiers and police also blocked all major roads leading into Onitsha and
environs starting from late night of 29 of May 2016. The major roads blocked
are Owerri Road, Asaba-Onitsha Head Bridge, Onitsha-Upper Iweka, Onitsha-
Nkpor Expressway, Oba-Nnewi Road, Ojoto-Umuoji Road, Nkpor-Ogidi-Old
Road, etc. Dozens of those coming from Port Harcourt, Aba, Owerri, Enugu,
Asaba, etc were arrested late night and dumped till this moment at Onitsha
Army Barracks. Some of them were shot in the same night and killed with their
corpses taken away.
As usual, those shot, killed or wounded were dumped in the military hilux vans
and taken to Onitsha Army Barracks. As if these were not enough, the military
and police personnel with dozens of security trucks stormed the proposed venue
and opened fire with live bullets on hundreds who had gathered for the prayer
session. The police and soldiers later went on rampage shooting
indiscriminately in all directions. Those who came through Ifite-Dunu and
Ogbunike to Nkpor were ambushed and shot at in their large numbers; likewise
those coming through Ojoto-Umuoji Road as well as those coming through
Onitsha-Owerri Road.
The soldiers and police in their hilux vans later traced those shot dead and
critically injured ones and picked them from the scenes and headed towards the
Onitsha Army Barracks. Two eyewitnesses (one journalist and one IPOB
member) told Intersociety that they saw soldiers with three hilux vans with
scores of slain citizens. The journalist said he counted six dead bodies
dead bodies in a
military hilux, while the IPOB member said he saw two military hilux vans filled
dead bodies. Efforts made by sympathizers and IPOB members to take the
critically shot victims to hospital were rebuffed by soldiers and police who got
them arrested. For now, three hospitals: Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital,
Uzondu Hospital and Multicare Hospital are said to be treating some gun-shot
victims.
The urgency of this statement is to put the records straight and disabuse the
sacred minds of Nigerians from unpardonable and serial lies of the authorities of
the Nigerian security forces particularly the Nigerian Army who have already
started dishing out tissue of lies over the massacre. As we wait for further
updates and comprehensive compilation of casualty figures from credible
independent sources including Intersociety, we solemnly appeal to the general
public to check the whereabouts of their loved ones particularly those who
passed through the areas under reference. We are also aware that a number of
passersby, artisans and traders nearby were either shot and wounded, or shot
and killed or arrested and taken away by soldiers. For the purpose of any
information from any member of the public regarding their missing loved ones
linked to the massacre, we urge such persons to contact the phone numbers or
email addresses below.
Signed:
For: International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman
Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Email: info@intersociety-ng.org , emekaumeagbalasi@yahoo.co.uk
Barr Obianuju Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of law Program
Mobile Line: +2348034186332
