The call made on Saturday, 24th March 2018 by a
former Army Chief and Defense Minister in Nigeria, Retired Lt Gen
Theo Danjuma to all Nigerians of non Muslim faith particularly
members of Christian faith in Northeast, North-central and Southern
parts of the country to defend themselves against the ongoing
widespread massacres across the country by radical armed Islamic
groups such as Islamist Fulani and Boko Haram killers; particularly
his strong accusation that the Nigerian Armed Forces are complicit
in the killings, is weighty and an irrefutable opinion of a
grounded Amicus Curiae from Military Citadel.
Gen Theo Danjuma also joined other informed and courageous
Nigerians to accuse the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the country’s
security establishments’ mangers of protecting the attackers
particularly the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and aiding their
atrocious conducts. We therefore see his call as not only grossly
belated but also incomplete without addition of urgent steps by the
United Nation System to set up an international commission of
inquiry under the Chapter VII of the United Nations’ Charter so as
to unravel the remote and immediate causes and perpetrators as well
as profiteers of the killings; likewise the Boko Haram insurgency
and Government counter insurgency operations in the Northeast.
The panic, hastiness, emptiness, tactlessness, self indictment
and self guilt contained in the reactions to the call by the duo of
Nigerian Army and the Federal Ministry of Defense further showcase
necessity, urgency, inexcusability and inevitability of the
international inquiries under demand.
We make bold to say that the indictable body language of the
present Federal Government in the ongoing killings as well as
emerging facts and developments have clearly shown that the
external demystification and solution to the unabated and raging
butcheries in Nigeria are practically rooted in the confines of
int’l criminal and civil inquiries under UN System alongside other
local content solutions. It is recalled that we have earlier
identified gross lopsided security and paramilitary appointments
and compositions as a major factor internally responsible for
intensification and escalation of the butcheries.
In the time of the immediate past, such int’l inquiries under
demand were launched by the UN System in several countries where
the fears or eruption of “complex humanitarian emergencies” or
grievous violations of human rights or commission and aiding (by
the State) of heinous crimes against humanity or war crimes by the
governing States or violent pro government or opposition groups
were heightened or became beyond the capacities of governing
municipal territories; especially where there were strong
point-blank or circumstantial evidence of State protection, aiding,
conspiracy, condoning, abetment, complicity, unwillingness and
inability.
Instances also abound where such inquiries were timely invoked
or instituted; leading to return of stability and collective
security, justice and mercy; truth, forgiveness and reconciliation
to the former troubled territories or societies. Where such were
the case such as in Lebanon, Pakistan and Darfur (Sudan), the
affected countries were relatively saved from drifting into total
collapse or failed States. But where they were belatedly invoked,
pariah or failed State status became the end result. We saw such in
Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria; collectively referred today
as “the world’s failed States”.
Typical example of such international inquiries and associated
UN interventions was in Lebanon after the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and 21 others by suspected Iranian
backed Lebanese Hezbollah militias on 14th
February 2005; leading to setting up of the UN Special Tribunal for
Lebanon. Another example was in Pakistan after the assassination of
former Prime Minister Ms Benazir Bhutto on 27th December
2007 and associated political turmoil including riots. The
assassination took place few weeks to the country’s presidential
election fixed for January 2008; leading to UN enquiry set up on
5th February 2009.
Of particular and striking of all was the “UN Int’l Commission
of Inquiry for Darfur (Sudan)”. Acting under Chapter VII of the
United Nations Charter, on 18 September 2004, the Security Council
of UN adopted resolution 1564 requesting that the Secretary-General
‘rapidly establish an international commission of inquiry’ in order
immediately to investigate reports of violations of international
humanitarian law and human rights law in Darfur (Sudan) by all
parties including the strong accusation of complicity of the
Sudanese central Government of Gen Omar Hassan el-Bashir and its
aiding of the Janjaweed Islamist guerrillas. Other terms of
reference were to determine whether or not acts of genocide have
occurred, and to identify the perpetrators of such violations with
a view to ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.
Based on a thorough analysis of the information gathered in the
course of its investigations, the Commission established that the
Government of the Sudan and the Janjaweed are responsible for
serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian
law amounting to crimes under international law.
In particular, the Commission found that Government forces and
militias conducted indiscriminate attacks, including killing of
civilians, torture, enforced disappearances, destruction of
villages, rape and other forms of sexual violence, pillaging and
forced displacement, throughout Darfur. These acts were conducted
on a widespread and systematic basis, and therefore amounted to
crimes against humanity.
In July 2008, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
(ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, accused President al-Bashir of genocide,
crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Darfur. The court issued
an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on 4 March 2009 on counts of war
crimes and crimes against humanity, but ruled that there was
insufficient evidence to prosecute him for genocide.
We therefore join Gen Theophilus Danjuma by repeating our
several warnings to the likes of UN, AU and western democracies
that Nigeria is steadily drifting towards the Somali way. Gen
Danjuma as one of the strongest supporters of the present diarchic
Administration in Nigeria and one of perceived personalities
responsible for Nigeria’s present political, economic and social
woes must have been shocked and traumatized by the level of
unprovoked attacks and killings perpetrated against members of his
Takum tribe and Christian faith alongside other non Muslim
nationalities of Northern and Southern Nigeria.
This, also, must have been occasioned by the fact that no sane
member of human family keeps a sealed lip or mouth-gums himself or
herself for forever when his or her rights of existence, social
identity and religion are illegitimately questioned and subjected
to serious threat of extermination or annihilation; irrespective of
his or her career, political or economic attainment. Totality of
them constitutes core and non-tradable social values of human
family and existence.
Nigerian policy makers and managers particularly those presently
holding political, security and legislative positions at the
Federal level must be reminded again that in the event of full
scale and provoked uncontrollable civil warfare, AK-47 rifles and
their likes being paraded, wielded and rioted today by the
aggressors will become the least instruments of war. The serving
and retired generals (apologists and instigators of religious
radicalism) instigating the attacks and protecting the attackers
today will end up in IDP or refugee camps as refugees or IDP
destitute. Instances abound in the Republics of Rwanda, Burundi,
Uganda and Zaire (DRC), etc of not long past.
In modern theory of violence, therefore, there are no sole
repositories or possessors of same. In such provoked retaliatory
civil war; animals, ants, herbs, substances and human brains can be
transformed into more formidable and menacing instruments of
retaliatory and victorious or devastating civil warfare than AK-47
assault rifles and their likes. This is the centrality of Gen Theo
Danjuma’s message to the Federal Government of Nigeria and its
operators; warning them to act beyond their present primordial and
ethno-religious cleavages before it is too late.
Gen Danjuma’s call; though grossly belated, should not be
treated dismissively by all and sundry including the Government of
Nigeria as it is presently doing; the United Nations and the entire
members of the int’l community. Granted that it is strongly held in
several social quarters that Gen Theo Danjuma is one of the
country’s ex public office holders believed by many to be living
far above his legitimate incomes and of stupendous wealth
unbecoming of a military pensioner; in addition to his not-too-good
roles during his career in the country’s military’s inglorious
epoch particularly in the 60s, but his latest call is a welcome
development and tantamount to that of wise words of an
“Amicus Curiae from Military Citadel”.
In matters bordering on commission or fears of commission or
possibility of commission of crimes against humanity or
perpetration of widespread human rights abuses or war crimes;
whipping or invocation of ethnic cleavages or primordial sentiments
in defense or protection of the perpetrators and their atrocious
conducts are set aside; on account of the fact that human rights
are indivisible and universal; transcending beyond boundaries,
tribes, classes, races and religions including territorial State
and Stateless societies.
Such a strong worded voice from a former chief of army staff
(October 1979-April 1980) and minister of defense (June 1999-May
2003) also exposes undeniable and conspiratorial roles of members
and headships of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the entire security
establishments in the killings. It further demystifies the
despicable and unpatriotic roles of the present central Government
especially its ongoing Nollywood Movies called
counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram insurgency in
the Northeast.
Just recently, Nigerian media was awash with breaking news of a
character called “Sergeant David Bako” who said he has deserted the
Nigerian Army and made a startling revelation of another
Nollywood Movie called “Dapchi Girls’ Abduction &
their Return”; which he claimed to have executed alongside other
soldiers camouflaging as “Boko Haram insurgents” at the cost of
N80m presidential bribe; with his cuts being N3m. Such is the
continuation of drama unfolding in the country since June 2015 in
the so called “counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast”.
We hereby call on the United Nations and other members of the
int’l community to take urgent steps to save Nigeria from drifting
into “complex humanitarian emergencies” or widespread
ethno-religious killings and counter killings (civil war)
occasioned by ongoing State aided butcheries in the name of
“deepening Koran in the Sea”. Nigerians will like to find out from
the said UN inquiries the number of Nigerians killed by the Fulani
Jihadists since June 2015, their religious faith and sacred places
of worship and properties destroyed or torched. The number of
violent Fulani Herdsmen killed by retaliatory Nigerians since then,
if any, should also be unravelled by the UN’s int’l commission of
inquiry under demand.
The roles of the Government of Nigeria and its security heads in
the ongoing butcheries by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen should also
thoroughly be investigated by the United Nations. The inquiries
under demand should inclusively investigate the ongoing strong
accusations levelled against the central Government in Nigeria of
its aiding and abetting the killings particularly its inability and
unwillingness to protect the victim populations; uncover the
sources of sophisticated firearms used by the Jihadists and fish
out and put them on trial in accordance with existing local and
int’l laws.
The roles of Government of Nigeria in its counter operations
against Boko Haram also call for international involvement and
scrutiny so as to ensure full compliance by the Government of
Nigeria and the non State violent actors involved with the
international laws including the Geneva Conventions or Laws of
Internal Conflict of 1949 and the Int’l Human Rights and
Humanitarian Laws. Our call for UN involvement through
institution of criminal and civil inquiries is in furtherance of
the powers and mandates of the UN under the Chapter VII of its
Charter of 1945.
Signed:
For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of
Law
Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist & Graduate of
Security Studies)
Board Chairman
Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Email: botchairman@intersociety-ng.org
Barr Obianuju Joy Igboeli
Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law
Program
Email: igboeliobianuju@gmail.com
Barr Jacinta Ezinwanne
Head, Public Security & Safety Program
Email: ezinwannejacinta3@gmail.com
The call made on Saturday, 24th March 2018 by a
former Army Chief and Defense Minister in Nigeria, Retired Lt Gen
Theo Danjuma to all Nigerians of non Muslim faith particularly
members of Christian faith in Northeast, North-central and Southern
parts of the country to defend themselves against the ongoing
widespread massacres across the country by radical armed Islamic
groups such as Islamist Fulani and Boko Haram killers; particularly
his strong accusation that the Nigerian Armed Forces are complicit
in the killings, is weighty and an irrefutable opinion of a
grounded Amicus Curiae from Military Citadel.
Gen Theo Danjuma also joined other informed and courageous
Nigerians to accuse the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the country’s
security establishments’ mangers of protecting the attackers
particularly the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and aiding their
atrocious conducts. We therefore see his call as not only grossly
belated but also incomplete without addition of urgent steps by the
United Nation System to set up an international commission of
inquiry under the Chapter VII of the United Nations’ Charter so as
to unravel the remote and immediate causes and perpetrators as well
as profiteers of the killings; likewise the Boko Haram insurgency
and Government counter insurgency operations in the Northeast.
The panic, hastiness, emptiness, tactlessness, self indictment
and self guilt contained in the reactions to the call by the duo of
Nigerian Army and the Federal Ministry of Defense further showcase
necessity, urgency, inexcusability and inevitability of the
international inquiries under demand.
We make bold to say that the indictable body language of the
present Federal Government in the ongoing killings as well as
emerging facts and developments have clearly shown that the
external demystification and solution to the unabated and raging
butcheries in Nigeria are practically rooted in the confines of
int’l criminal and civil inquiries under UN System alongside other
local content solutions. It is recalled that we have earlier
identified gross lopsided security and paramilitary appointments
and compositions as a major factor internally responsible for
intensification and escalation of the butcheries.
In the time of the immediate past, such int’l inquiries under
demand were launched by the UN System in several countries where
the fears or eruption of “complex humanitarian emergencies” or
grievous violations of human rights or commission and aiding (by
the State) of heinous crimes against humanity or war crimes by the
governing States or violent pro government or opposition groups
were heightened or became beyond the capacities of governing
municipal territories; especially where there were strong
point-blank or circumstantial evidence of State protection, aiding,
conspiracy, condoning, abetment, complicity, unwillingness and
inability.
Instances also abound where such inquiries were timely invoked
or instituted; leading to return of stability and collective
security, justice and mercy; truth, forgiveness and reconciliation
to the former troubled territories or societies. Where such were
the case such as in Lebanon, Pakistan and Darfur (Sudan), the
affected countries were relatively saved from drifting into total
collapse or failed States. But where they were belatedly invoked,
pariah or failed State status became the end result. We saw such in
Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria; collectively referred today
as “the world’s failed States”.
Typical example of such international inquiries and associated
UN interventions was in Lebanon after the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and 21 others by suspected Iranian
backed Lebanese Hezbollah militias on 14th
February 2005; leading to setting up of the UN Special Tribunal for
Lebanon. Another example was in Pakistan after the assassination of
former Prime Minister Ms Benazir Bhutto on 27th December
2007 and associated political turmoil including riots. The
assassination took place few weeks to the country’s presidential
election fixed for January 2008; leading to UN enquiry set up on
5th February 2009.
Of particular and striking of all was the “UN Int’l Commission
of Inquiry for Darfur (Sudan)”. Acting under Chapter VII of the
United Nations Charter, on 18 September 2004, the Security Council
of UN adopted resolution 1564 requesting that the Secretary-General
‘rapidly establish an international commission of inquiry’ in order
immediately to investigate reports of violations of international
humanitarian law and human rights law in Darfur (Sudan) by all
parties including the strong accusation of complicity of the
Sudanese central Government of Gen Omar Hassan el-Bashir and its
aiding of the Janjaweed Islamist guerrillas. Other terms of
reference were to determine whether or not acts of genocide have
occurred, and to identify the perpetrators of such violations with
a view to ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.
Based on a thorough analysis of the information gathered in the
course of its investigations, the Commission established that the
Government of the Sudan and the Janjaweed are responsible for
serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian
law amounting to crimes under international law.
In particular, the Commission found that Government forces and
militias conducted indiscriminate attacks, including killing of
civilians, torture, enforced disappearances, destruction of
villages, rape and other forms of sexual violence, pillaging and
forced displacement, throughout Darfur. These acts were conducted
on a widespread and systematic basis, and therefore amounted to
crimes against humanity.
In July 2008, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
(ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, accused President al-Bashir of genocide,
crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Darfur. The court issued
an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on 4 March 2009 on counts of war
crimes and crimes against humanity, but ruled that there was
insufficient evidence to prosecute him for genocide.
We therefore join Gen Theophilus Danjuma by repeating our
several warnings to the likes of UN, AU and western democracies
that Nigeria is steadily drifting towards the Somali way. Gen
Danjuma as one of the strongest supporters of the present diarchic
Administration in Nigeria and one of perceived personalities
responsible for Nigeria’s present political, economic and social
woes must have been shocked and traumatized by the level of
unprovoked attacks and killings perpetrated against members of his
Takum tribe and Christian faith alongside other non Muslim
nationalities of Northern and Southern Nigeria.
This, also, must have been occasioned by the fact that no sane
member of human family keeps a sealed lip or mouth-gums himself or
herself for forever when his or her rights of existence, social
identity and religion are illegitimately questioned and subjected
to serious threat of extermination or annihilation; irrespective of
his or her career, political or economic attainment. Totality of
them constitutes core and non-tradable social values of human
family and existence.
Nigerian policy makers and managers particularly those presently
holding political, security and legislative positions at the
Federal level must be reminded again that in the event of full
scale and provoked uncontrollable civil warfare, AK-47 rifles and
their likes being paraded, wielded and rioted today by the
aggressors will become the least instruments of war. The serving
and retired generals (apologists and instigators of religious
radicalism) instigating the attacks and protecting the attackers
today will end up in IDP or refugee camps as refugees or IDP
destitute. Instances abound in the Republics of Rwanda, Burundi,
Uganda and Zaire (DRC), etc of not long past.
In modern theory of violence, therefore, there are no sole
repositories or possessors of same. In such provoked retaliatory
civil war; animals, ants, herbs, substances and human brains can be
transformed into more formidable and menacing instruments of
retaliatory and victorious or devastating civil warfare than AK-47
assault rifles and their likes. This is the centrality of Gen Theo
Danjuma’s message to the Federal Government of Nigeria and its
operators; warning them to act beyond their present primordial and
ethno-religious cleavages before it is too late.
Gen Danjuma’s call; though grossly belated, should not be
treated dismissively by all and sundry including the Government of
Nigeria as it is presently doing; the United Nations and the entire
members of the int’l community. Granted that it is strongly held in
several social quarters that Gen Theo Danjuma is one of the
country’s ex public office holders believed by many to be living
far above his legitimate incomes and of stupendous wealth
unbecoming of a military pensioner; in addition to his not-too-good
roles during his career in the country’s military’s inglorious
epoch particularly in the 60s, but his latest call is a welcome
development and tantamount to that of wise words of an
“Amicus Curiae from Military Citadel”.
In matters bordering on commission or fears of commission or
possibility of commission of crimes against humanity or
perpetration of widespread human rights abuses or war crimes;
whipping or invocation of ethnic cleavages or primordial sentiments
in defense or protection of the perpetrators and their atrocious
conducts are set aside; on account of the fact that human rights
are indivisible and universal; transcending beyond boundaries,
tribes, classes, races and religions including territorial State
and Stateless societies.
Such a strong worded voice from a former chief of army staff
(October 1979-April 1980) and minister of defense (June 1999-May
2003) also exposes undeniable and conspiratorial roles of members
and headships of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the entire security
establishments in the killings. It further demystifies the
despicable and unpatriotic roles of the present central Government
especially its ongoing Nollywood Movies called
counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram insurgency in
the Northeast.
Just recently, Nigerian media was awash with breaking news of a
character called “Sergeant David Bako” who said he has deserted the
Nigerian Army and made a startling revelation of another
Nollywood Movie called “Dapchi Girls’ Abduction &
their Return”; which he claimed to have executed alongside other
soldiers camouflaging as “Boko Haram insurgents” at the cost of
N80m presidential bribe; with his cuts being N3m. Such is the
continuation of drama unfolding in the country since June 2015 in
the so called “counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast”.
We hereby call on the United Nations and other members of the
int’l community to take urgent steps to save Nigeria from drifting
into “complex humanitarian emergencies” or widespread
ethno-religious killings and counter killings (civil war)
occasioned by ongoing State aided butcheries in the name of
“deepening Koran in the Sea”. Nigerians will like to find out from
the said UN inquiries the number of Nigerians killed by the Fulani
Jihadists since June 2015, their religious faith and sacred places
of worship and properties destroyed or torched. The number of
violent Fulani Herdsmen killed by retaliatory Nigerians since then,
if any, should also be unravelled by the UN’s int’l commission of
inquiry under demand.
The roles of the Government of Nigeria and its security heads in
the ongoing butcheries by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen should also
thoroughly be investigated by the United Nations. The inquiries
under demand should inclusively investigate the ongoing strong
accusations levelled against the central Government in Nigeria of
its aiding and abetting the killings particularly its inability and
unwillingness to protect the victim populations; uncover the
sources of sophisticated firearms used by the Jihadists and fish
out and put them on trial in accordance with existing local and
int’l laws.
The roles of Government of Nigeria in its counter operations
against Boko Haram also call for international involvement and
scrutiny so as to ensure full compliance by the Government of
Nigeria and the non State violent actors involved with the
international laws including the Geneva Conventions or Laws of
Internal Conflict of 1949 and the Int’l Human Rights and
Humanitarian Laws. Our call for UN involvement through
institution of criminal and civil inquiries is in furtherance of
the powers and mandates of the UN under the Chapter VII of its
Charter of 1945.
Signed:
For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of
Law
Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist & Graduate of
Security Studies)
Board Chairman
Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Email: botchairman@intersociety-ng.org
Barr Obianuju Joy Igboeli
Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law
Program
Email: igboeliobianuju@gmail.com
Barr Jacinta Ezinwanne
Head, Public Security & Safety Program
Email: ezinwannejacinta3@gmail.com