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HURIWA seeks probe on killing of soldiers, abduction of traditional rulers in Enugu

By Jesutomi Akomolafe
11 October 2021   |   4:16 am
A right group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday called for impartial investigation of persons responsible for the alleged killing of two soldiers ...

Emmanuel Onwubiko

A right group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday called for impartial investigation of persons responsible for the alleged killing of two soldiers and the subsequent invasion by armed soldiers and burning down of the palace of traditional ruler of Izombe community in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.

HURIWA said it was a solutely unlawful for the military to use extralegal execution of citizens no matter the level of perceived offence just as the group said it has been revealed that the killing of a young man by soldiers led to the revenge killing of the two soldiers, which in itself is barbaric and unlawful. 
 
The group in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, expressed worries that the Nigerian military is yet to understand that under constitutional democracy,  no institution has the legal authority to take the law into its hands no matter the provocation or anger just as setting ablaze the housing assets of the traditional ruler has been described as an act of primitive brutality and an uncivilised modus operandi, which must be decisively dealt with and stopped forthwith.  

 
It therefore proposed the setting up of an independent judicial commission of inquiry by the Imo State Government to identify the arsonists amongst the soldiers that petrol bombed the palace of the traditional ruler just as the group has called for justice and closure for all those killed including the two soldiers reportedly set ablaze by some irate youths.  
 
The rights group also  quoted news media as reporting that many houses, including the palace of the traditional ruler of the Aborshi-Izombe community, Pius Muforo, were burnt down just as it was gathered that Izombe, Eziorsu and Osobod communities have been enmeshed in oil bunkering operations.
 
It would be recalled that a community leader from Umuokwu village, Mr James Imo, claimed that over 50 houses have been burnt down.  
 
HURIWA, which condemned the cowardly actions of the irate youths for allegedly murdering the uniformed men of the Nigerian Army stated that in as much as the brutal criminal act of killing law enforcement agents is totally condemnable, it remains absolutely despicable and reprehensible.

“HURIWA insisted that what is lawful is for the Nigeria Army to report to the police who will immediately swing into action and arrest the suspected killers of the two soldiers so they are prosecuted for murders and not for the soldiers to resort to self help measures of invading communities and burning down houses and shooting randomly at everything moving in those communities just to revenge the alleged brutal killing of two of their colleagues, who in any case had allegedly killed a young man extralegally.  
 
“HURIWA charges the Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Yahaya Faruk to escalate his announced programme of professionalisation of the Armed Forces and to work out ways and means of ensuring that henceforth soldiers do not resort to self help measures such as invading a community whereby any of their members are killed on the line of duty or even for committing atrocious act of extrajudicial execution  of a citizen and for the invading soldiers to extend this revenge mission to adjourning communities means that these are crimes against humanity,” the statement added.

 
 

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