NBA Reacts to Alleged Massacre of IPOB Members by Military in Rivers
Following accusations of genocide by the Nigerian armed forces against the indigenous people of Biafra in Rivers State, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) established an investigation team.
On Thursday, the NBA set up a fact-finding team for Oyigbo in Rivers State over reports of alleged retaliatory killings of suspected indigenous Biafran (IPOB) members banned by the military.
The four-member team includes NBA First Vice President John Ickpokpo-Martins; two former presidents of the Port Harcourt NBA office, Victor Frank-Briggs and Antonia Osadema; and the former president of the NBA subsidiary Ukwa, Chimaroke Eli.
In a statement on his Twitter account, NBA President Olumide Akpata said the team will visit Oyigbo and investigate the events in the area, ”and the results were released.
Following the killing of six soldiers and four police officers and the destruction of courthouses during the EndSARS protests on October 21, 2020, the Rivers State government imposed a 24-hour curfew throughout Oyigbo Local Government.
Governor Nyosoma Waik said the violence lies with the IPOB, which seeks independence for the Igbo regions of southern Nigeria.
Akpata said that after reports of extrajudicial executions and violations of rights, he requested information about the situation from the presidents of the NBA branches in Ukwa and Port Harcourt (two branches closest to Oyigbo).
“Although the presidents of the two branches expressed concern about the situation, they nevertheless informed me that they still had to conduct an on-site assessment due to the state government’s curfew in the area to prevent violations of law and order. …
In a separate telephone conversation with Rivers State Governor His Excellency Nies Wyck, he vehemently denied the shooting order, as rumored to be, but acknowledged clashes between Nigerian military personnel and some suspected LPOB members in the area. Oyigbo State Local Government.
“The Governor further explained that the curfew imposed in the area was maintained out of necessity and assured me that it would be lifted yesterday, November 3, 2020. I have now confirmed that the curfew has indeed been lifted and that the residents of the area are now able to carry out their legal activities. “
Akpata reaffirmed the NBA’s position that respect for fundamental rights “is non-negotiable and can only be canceled in cases permitted by the Constitution or other laws.”
