*Stop killing unarmed youths, MASSOB tells the Nigerian military
The human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has revealed that not less than 81 Igbo communities are currently under siege and passing through inhumane and degrading experiences caused by troops of the Nigerian military.
In a special report released on Monday and signed by Intersociety principal officers, Emeka Umeagbalasi- researcher and criminologist, Chinwe Umeche, Obianuju Igboeli, and Chidinma Udegbunam, the rights group stated that the military siege has also increased attacks by Jihadist Fulani herdsmen on the affected communities.
81 Igbo Communities Under Military occupation.
According to the report, "There are no fewer than 81 Igbo communities presently under military siege and terror. The military siege and terror in the affected communities are perpetrated through the permanent or temporal military occupation of the areas or constant military patrols with attendant atrocious and other internationally prohibited conduct.
"The communities are: Izombe/Oguta, Imo State; interior parts of Ogbaru, Anambra State; Amangwu-Ohafia and its neighbors in Ohafia; Uturu and its environs in Abia State; Asa, Ogwe, Isialangwa, Etche and Owerri-Nta in Abia State; Egudene (Akpawfu)/Amechi Idoodo/Amegunze in Nkanu-East, Enugu State; Amichi/Ebenator/Ukpor, Anambra State; Uli, Orsumoghu, Lilu, Amorka and Ihiala in Ihiala, Anambra State;
"Ihitenansa, Orsu-Ihiteukwa, Eziawa and Umuhu-Okabia in Orsu, Imo State; Awomama, Amiri and Akatta in Oru East; Omuma, Oulu, and Mgbidi in Oru West, Imo State; Ajalli, Ufuma, Ndiokolo, and Awgbu in Orumba North; Nando, Nsugbe, Aguleri, Igbariam, Umueri and Umuleri in Anambra East, Umunya and Nteje in Oyi;
"Omor, Igbakwu, Anaku, and Omasi in Ayamelum; Agulu in Anaocha, Amanda, Achala, and Ebenebe in Awka South; Umunze, Owerri-Ezukala, and Ogbunka in Orumba South, Anambra State; Ogwa and Mbaitoli in Mbaitoli, Imo State; Orlu and its environs in Imo State; Umunneochi and its environs in Abia State;
"Okigwe and its environs in Imo State; Isiukwuato and its environs in Abia State; Ohaji-Egbema and its environs in Imo State; Obigbo and Ikwere in Rivers State; Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani, Igbo-Eze North/South and Igbo-Etiti and parts of Isi-Uzo in Enugu State; Ozalla-Nkanu West and parts of Udi,
"Ani-Nri, Awgu and Ugwuogo-Nike-Opi Nsukka Axis in Enugu State; and Efium and Ezza in Ohaukwu, Egedege/Ishielu, Ishiagu, Afikpo, Onicha and Abakiliki metropolis in Ebonyi State."
Image:Sahara Reporters.
Increased Military and Jihadist invasions and criminalities in the 81 Igbo Communities.
Intersociety also noted that despite the increased military presence in these communities, the residents are in no way protected from constant invasions by Jihadist Fulani herdsmen as well as the activities of other criminals.
"The military siege and terror in the named 81 Igbo-Christian communities have not only become a reoccurring decimal but also heightened Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks and attacks by well-armed street criminal entities.
"It was observed in the course of this Special Investigation that about 70% of the named communities host the highest concentration of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen invasion and their jihadist genocidal attacks since 2016.
"Many of the affected 81 communities are also under attacks by nonstate actor street criminal entities including gangs of kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists, ritualists, and criminal miners of solid minerals.
"In other words, the affected communities have continued to record the highest incidences of the trio of military terror, jihadist attacks, and attacks by well-armed street criminal/counterfeiting entities. These are even though the communities record the highest presence or concentration of military and police deployments."
Intersociety said its investigations also revealed that the security agents in these communities have been protecting the jihadists and criminals, instead.
"It was further investigated and observed that the deployed security forces in the areas have been turning their guns and sworn duties against innocent and defenseless road users and local inhabitants and channel same into protecting the jihadist and street criminal gangs as well as aiding and abetting their criminalities including partaking in kidnapping, mining, robbery, and jihadist attacks.
"The totality of these has forced the affected communities and visitor-road users into being militarily terrorized and inflicted with fears or severally killed, abducted, tortured, disappeared, and sexually harassed-with their defenseless houses and other properties burned down or destroyed beyond repair and recognition."
The group narrated its findings about the recent attack on a military checkpoint at Isuofia in Anambra state to illustrate how defenseless citizens are bearing the brunt of military brigandage.
"No fewer than eight unarmed and defenseless citizens were gunned down by personnel of the Nigerian Military comprising Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy at Umuona and Isuofia in Aguata Local Government of Anambra State.
"The latest killings by the Military started 10-30 minutes after the last week Saturday (12th Nov 2022) attack by nonstate actor armed persons commonly referred to as “Unknown Gunmen”, at a Military checkpoint located at Isuofia-Umuona Roundabout (Afro-Uzo Junction) by St Patrick Catholic Church in Isuofia; the Hometown of Gov Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State. The Military checkpoint is originally manned by Nigerian Naval personnel from the Onitsha (Ogbaru) Base.
"According to findings by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), the Unknown Gunmen had in the morning (at about 9 am) of Saturday, 12th Nov 2022 launched an impromptu attack at Isuofia Military checkpoint, killing a soldier.
"The attack lasted less than ten minutes after which the Unknown Gunmen escaped uncaught through Isuofia-Umuona Road into Aguluzigbo using Umuona-Aguluzigbo Bypass. The Unknown Gunmen had escaped by jumping and dodging potholes and bumps at high speed.
"The shooting incident created panic and fear, disrupting vehicular and pedestrian movements and grounding other social activities in Isuofia and its environs. Shockingly, about ten minutes after the attack at Isuofia, surviving soldiers joined by others went on a terminal or deadly shooting spree, creating more panic and forcing defenseless citizens to flee for safety.
"It was in the process that four defenseless citizens were shot dead including a cyclist, a teenage boy going to his mother’s shop where she fries beans cake, a half-dead man shattered by military bullets, bundled into a military vehicle by soldiers, and a man running into his compound for safety was shot and killed by an armed soldier escaping from the scene.
"Not done; about 20-30 minutes later, soldiers regrouped and headed to Orie-Umuona Market Square by St Maria De Goretti Catholic Church, Umuona where they opened fire on defenseless citizens running for safety, killing four and injuring scores.
"One of the slain citizens, an indigene of Umuona escaping from shooting bullets, was pursued by a soldier into a family compound where he was dragged out, shot on his sensitive head-body region, and killed instantly.
"The soldiers instantly picked three of the corpses on the spot while another slain body lying lifelessly close to St Maria De Goretti Catholic Church, Umunna, was later picked and dumped in a military patrol van and taken away. Hours later, the Nigerian Military authorities costumed and camouflaged the unarmed dead bodies and publicly displayed them as “gunned down unknown gunmen.
"This, the Military personnel did, in addition to shattering the back windscreen of a Venzer car possibly abandoned for safety by an innocent road user and displayed the same as “a vehicle recovered from the unknown gunmen."
Intersociety called on the deployed security agents to leave the region.
"Today, the unarmed and defenseless population in the East are recklessly and indiscriminately singled out and targeted for brutalization, degradation, abduction and mass killing in revenge for the loss of security personnel killed by “known gunmen” and “unknown gunmen."
"Therefore, the Nigerian Military and other security agencies and their commanders deployed in the East must leave the defenseless Easterners alone and go after the nonstate actor fighting parties troubling them and exposing their gross incompetence, crudity, and barbarism.
"They must also stop class criminalization and operational hatred against the Eastern civilian population and their defenseless properties. The flooding of Eastern Nigeria with 90% Muslim security and defense officers and rank and file must also stop.
"We make bold to say that Eastern Nigeria is silently undergoing a war of annihilation and religious conquest in the hands of ethnically and religiously radicalized security and defense agencies, agents, and commanders," Intersociety noted.
MASSOB condemns the killing of Awgu youths.
The report by Intersociety is coming on the heels of a warning by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB to troops of the Nigerian Army to stop their unprovoked attacks and killing of unarmed and innocent youths of Awgu in Enugu state.
According to Sahara Reporters, MASSOB in a statement signed by its National Director of Information, Edeson Samuel, on Tuesday, condemned the killing of the youths who were protesting the death of their brothers.
The statement read in part, “The leadership of the Movement for Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) warned the Nigerian soldiers to stop with immediate effect the unprovoked attack and killing of unarmed innocent youths at Awgu.
“Nigerian soldiers commanded by General Muhammadu Buhari-led APC federal government should not push us to the wall, because there is a limit to human endurance.
“MASSOB condemned the unprovoked killing of innocent youths in Awgu by Nigerian soldiers and the Divisional Police Officer of the Nigeria Police Force because the youths were protesting the killing of their brothers by the government-sponsored Neighborhood Watch security outfit in Awgu.”
MASSOB wondered what wrong the youths have done to deserve being killed.
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