THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA 2005 - UNDP Nigeria ...

Onitsha/Owerri Road, Mr Johnson Okafor, Ugochukwu Ezendu, Ifeanyi Ojele, Paul Ifeanyi who were allkilled on 17 th July 2006 at Onitsha. On 19 th of July Victor Okunoja was killed by the police at OgbaruMain Market alongside two okada (commercial motorcycle) riders. The organization also alleged thaton July 22, 35 MASSSOB members were killed at Nkpikpa forest, a MASSOB base, while 65 peoplearrested during a MASSOB meeting at Mgbuka, Obosi road on 22 July were later killed in the armybarracks. On 21 st July, 15 Christian worshipers were also dead at Saint Luke Church, Okpoko..Some of these allegations were corroborated by several sources including Onitsha residents. Severalwitness indeed said that they witnessed several raids by men of the Mobile Police Unit or the JointPolice/military squad. A resident described how on how police rounded up several youths on the 30 th ofJune 2006.“ They came suddenly from the blues. It was about 6 pm, most people wereindoors. A police vehicle with about 12 policemen suddenly ground to a stop infront of 25 Mbonu Ojike Street. There were also soldiers with them. They startedshooting indiscriminately in the air. They started arresting people indiscriminately.They just throw you inside their vehicle after giving you several kicks with theirboots and the butt of their guns. They broke several doors with their boots. Aboutten persons were taken away. Among them were Fabian Eze, a panel beater,Celestine Anioke, a motor mechanic, Joseph Mbachu,and Harrison Okeke.” 9This scenario appeared to have been replicated in several parts of Onitsha and its environs. At AkokwaStreet, Fegge , Onisha, two residents said that on the same night (June 30 th ) several armed membersof the Mobile Police Force , armed with automatic weapons, held the entire street hostage the wholenight.“several residents were brutalized, some personal effects like money,jewelries, handsets and wrist watches were forcefully taken away fromthem. Some young women, both married and unmarried were sexuallyharassed” 10A shopkeeper at Mbaukwu Street recounted what happened:“a group of soldiers came into the street one day, shooting into the air, forcingresidents to flee. Soldiers then went into several shops and helped themselves todrinks and money left behind. All the money I had in the drawer, my sale for the daywas stolen by the soldiers” 11There were no indications that residents to the police authorities to alert them of the excesses of theirmen lodged complaints. One serious dimension to this brutality was the allegation that the solders whowere sent to help the police in restoring peace to Onitsha were engaging in “ethnic cleansing” Somewitnesses told the CLO that the rampaging soldiers mostly northerners indeed told them that they wereon a revenge mission, to avenge their brothers and sisters who were killed during the February 2006Religious riot. 12Most residents of Onitsha seem to hate and mistrust the police. This deep­seated distrust andanimosity between Onitsha residents and the Police was highlighted by most people spoken to in thecause of the preparation of this report. Mr. Uchenna Nwankwo, a social commentator based in9CLO Anambra state branch interview with an Onitsha resident. July 200610CLO interview. July 6,200611Emeka Uzoka, interview with IRIN news.com12In February 2006, an estimated 400 people mostly from the northern part of the country were killed in Onitsha and several parts ofSouth East in a wave of reprisal killings following the killing of Christians in the North as a fallout of the offensive cartoon of ProphetMuhammad in a Danish newspaper.71