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

“They came about 2.10 am, shooting indiscriminately into the air.When they approachedthe gate of the prisons, nine hoodlums, armed with locally made pistols, pump actionguns, machetes, axes and other dangerous weapons and ordered the prison officials toopen the gate. They dealt machete cuts on prisons officials whom they felt were notcooperating and were in possession of the keys to the cells. They went to the cells,broke them open with axes and machetes and marched the prisoners to Akpaka ForestReserve, their base. Early on Monday morning, they conveyed the inmates on motorbikes to an unidentified place in Onitsha town” 15Indeed MASOB has also been named in several acts of violence and extortion within Onitsha. AnOnitsha resident described MASSOB activities thus:“It is true that MASSOB started out as a non violent group but it is not exactly nonviolent anymore. Thousands of unemployed street boys flocked to its ranks and theyhave been intimidating residents, with some of them even bearing arms” 16There were several reported cases of abductions of individuals by MASSOB activists who were madeto pay ransom in cash or foodstuff like bags or rice in return for their freedom. When the police invadedAkpaka Forest, the stronghold of MASSOB, they claimed to have recovered several arms andammunition as well as several dead bodies who were likely killed by the group.It must be noted however that while the police did attributed every act of violence that occurred inOnitsha within the period as the handiwork of MASSOB, other groups including the police were alsoresponsible for acts of violence in Onitsha during this period.NARTOPrior to the administration of Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju 17 , NARTO was seen as a docile tradeunion while the rival union, Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) was more notoriousfor lawlessness. The NURTW managed all the motor parks in Anambra State. The assassination ofChief Nweke Ogbodu, Chairman of the NURTW changed the balance of power and NARTOsuccessfully challenged the NURTW exclusive control of the parks. According to one journalist,“ Some groups went to some powerful people in Mbadinuju’s government to cede the parkto them in return for a large sum of money running into Millions of Naira. This money wasactually sourced from politicians led by Chief Uba.” 18With the political support of Governor Mbadinuju, NARTO became the most powerful group in the state.One journalist described NARTO as a parallel government in Anambra State. NARTO was in totalcontrol of all the motor packs throughout the tenure of Governor Mbadinuju and Governor Chris Ngige,between 1999 and mid 2006. Occasional challenge by rival NURTW was quickly repelled by acombination of NARTO militants and the police. An Onitsha based journalist described the activities ofNARTO thus:“They, (NARTO operatives) openly extort money from transporters. They intimidatetravelers at will. Drivers who refuse to pay them had their cars confiscated. They even15Bright Chukwujekwu, one of the freed prisoners who voluntarily returned to the prison. Quoted by the vanguard NewspaperJune 20 , 200616Kene Ezeanyi, interview with IRIN news.com September 5 200617Chief Chinwoke Mbadinuju was elected governor of Anambra state in May 29 1999.. His four year tenure in Anambra stateremain the most tumultuous in the history of the state with several armed groups emerging to compete for the vast resourcesof the state.18CLO interview with a journalist in Onitsha , August 14 200673