April 13, 2017
By Ijendu Iheaka
The board of inquiry set up by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Turkur Buratai to investigate human rights violations has said it would welcome witnesses from Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Aba.
The Chairman, Mjr Gen. Ahmed Jubril stated this in Aba on Thursday when his team visited the Forward Operation Base (FOB) of 144 Battalion at Ngwa High School, Aba to speak with soldiers.
He however said that his team would not go looking for the MASSOB and IPOB members because they were not the complainants in the petition which warranted the setting up of the board of inquiry.
“Well if they are ready to see us we will hear them but we are not going to look for them because they did not complain. They were not the ones that complained.
“They are not the complainant in this case. It is the Human Rights Groups that wrote these allegations that was the reason this board was set up,” he said.
He said that the board would guarantee their security when they appear before it noting that it was not set up to carry out any hidden agenda.
The General said they were in Abia state to principally to confer with the government of Abia state and hear its view of the killings of IPOB members on February 9, 2016.
“We are here to hear from them their view of what happened on February 9, 2016 at the National High School, Aba where it was alleged that some IPOB members were gathering.
“And when it turned violent, the police left the place and when the soldiers came they opened fire and killed 10 people and they were carried out of Aba and buried in shallow graves along the Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway,” he said.
He said his team had discussed with Abia government and were on their way to speak with the National High School, Aba Principal to speak and others who witnessed the killings including soldiers who conducted the operation.
He said that the team had two days, Wednesday and Thursday, to stay in Aba adding that they gave Governor Ikpeazu’s Security Adviser their phone number and email with which people can contact them.
Jubril said that they had been to Anambra state where they visited Onitsha and Mkpor to speak with witnesses.
He said the board comprises 9 members including the secretary, Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Akaniro, two lawyers, Olawale Faponda and Tony Ojukwu of the Human Rights Commission and Brig Gen Tunji Olayinka.
Others were Brig. Gen. Dada Garba rtd, Col. Paul Izukanne rtd, Col. Lawal Gwambai and, Col Lawal Mohammed.
Jubril told reporters that although they were in Abia to cover the killings allegedly committed by the army, their brief included investigating all allegations of human rights violation by the army.
Jubril is the chairman, Special Board of Inquiry investigating all cases of Human Rights Violation by the personnel of the Nigerian Army from their Operations against Insurgents in the North East and the Internal Security Operations in the South East.
The board was set up by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai on March 8, 2017 to verify the authenticity or otherwise of the Amnesty International’s claims.
The setting up of the board followed the 2016 report of Amnesty International which accused the Nigerian Army and other security agencies of human rights violation in parts of the Country including Aba which the army said was a lie.
Two 2 residents of Aba had been killed on 18 January 2016 and at least 6 others on 9 February 2016 by the Nigerian Army personnel in Aba which resulted in the outcry Amnesty International followed up in their report.
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