By Adekunle Dada

Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the legal counsel to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the Nigerian Army and police of killing and kidnapping IPOB protesters in Aba, Abia State.

WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that police officers and IPOB members clashed in Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State on Friday during a peaceful protest for the release of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu from the custody of the Department for State Security (DSS), Abuja.

Ejiofor claimed the protesters engaged in a peaceful demonstration but were met with brutality by security agents.

According to Ejiofor, in a statement issued on Saturday, no fewer than ten protesters were killed while more than 100 injured were as a result of the assault the security forces unleashed on them.

Kanu’s lawyer, then, vowed to explore legal means to get justice for the victims of the incident yesterday.

The statement read, “A gut-wrenching and disturbing news broke yesterday, the 31st day of March, 2023, from Abia State, to the effect that the combined team of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and other sister security agencies, launched an unprovoked attack on innocent and unarmed citizens protesting the continued illegal and unconstitutional detention of our indefatigable Client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“During the bloody crackdown on unarmed civilians, over ten (10) persons were gruesomely murdered in cold blood, while over 100 persons were grievously injured by lethal weapons, and live ammunition used by these murderous security agents.

“Very disheartening is also the fact that over one hundred and fifty (150) persons amongst the peaceful protesters were abducted, and swiftly taken to unknown location(s) by the security agents, who equally confiscated and took away the dead bodies of those they killed.

“Unfortunately, the foregoing troubling/disturbing news have been verified to be true.

“It is indeed not a coincidence that this dastardly act is being committed on our land when the international community, more specifically, the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) group has beamed their searchlights on the unabated killings of innocent civilians in the South-East by both state and non-state actors.

“Yesterday’s unfortunate event/incident is a further confirmation of the fact that the appropriate institution/organization to classify/designate in the world Global Terrorism Index for their terrorist activities in the South-East, is the overzealous Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force and other sister agencies, which have repeatedly shown no restraint in their dastardly acts of genocidal massacre of unarmed/innocent civilians in the South-East, without due regard to the rules of engagement obtainable in a civilised society.

“The event of yesterday, has also irresistibly pointed to the fact that – the Nigerian Soldiers, Nigeria Police Force and others – actively involved in these heinous crimes against humanity, are the actual culprits, and as such, we are calling on the international community, responsible foreign governments and institutions, to reign in on the Nigerian government to call their overzealous/lawless security agents to account for this obvious crime against humanity.

“The Nigerian government must audit the details of these heinous crimes against unarmed civilians and genocidal massacre of citizens who are legitimately exercising their civil rights to protest and peaceful assembly as constitutionally guaranteed in Nigeria’s constitution.

“The bloody crackdown on innocent and unarmed civilians is not only sacrilegious but condemnable!!!

Hence, we are calling on the Nigerian Security agents to release the dead bodies of those they massacred during the bloody crackdown on innocent protesters yesterday, and also to unconditionally and immediately release the protesters they illegally abducted during the bloody onslaught.

“This ethnic profiling, unprovoked attacks, bloody crackdown and genocidal killings of people from the South-East has gained more prominence recently, and continued unchecked, particularly, now that other non-state actors are involved in other states across Nigeria like Lagos; in the killing of Igbos and destruction of their properties, without being arrested or countered.

“We wish to reiterate our demand for the immediate release of those abducted during yesterday’s unprovoked bloody crackdown, as well as the release of the dead bodies of persons they massacred, to their respective families for proper burial.

“Be assured that we must explore all legal remedies available to the victims in the circumstance of this grave infraction to seek appropriate legal redress before the law courts.

“Enough is enough!!!”