Says Lack Of Evidence, 95% of Investigations Involving “Biafra Terrorism” Suspects in Imo Inconclusive Since Jan 2021

…For Lack of Evidence, No Records of Convictions Against “Biafra Terrorism” Suspects in South East Since August 2015

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has appreciated the Nigerian Media for their robust support and solidarity regarding wide publicity and attention given to its last Sunday, 21st May 2023 Press Conference in Enugu during which the 33-paged ‘special research and investigative report’ on Imo mass murders and civilian house burnings, among others, since January 2021 was unveiled and their state and non-state actor perpetrators unmasked.

The Press Conference was addressed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, a Criminologist-Researcher and Board Chairman of the Intersociety; joined by Prof Chidozie Chukwuokolo, a respected University Don and Human Rights campaigner; Engineer Ikenwoke Nwandu, a respected Computer Security Engineer and Human Rights Defender; Chief Anayo Okoli, a Board Member of Intersociety and South-East Bureau Chief of the Vanguard Newspaper; and Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam Esquire, a Human Rights Lawyer and Head of Publicity at Intersociety.

What We Unveiled At The Enugu Press Conference

The Intersociety’s 33-paged special research and investigative report had “incontrovertibly disclosed that Imo State of Nigeria under Hope Uzodinma as Governor has become so unsafe and insecure that from Jan 2021 to May 2023; a period of 29 months or two years and five months, the deployed security forces and allied militias have killed at least 900 defenseless and unarmed citizens, wounded 700, arbitrarily arrested 3500, disappeared 300, invaded 80 communities in at least 20 of the State’s 27 Local Government Areas where at least 1,200 civilian houses and other properties including market stores were atrociously burned down or destroyed. The attacks by security forces and allied militias have also displaced at least 30,000 occupants or owners of the 1,200 burnt or destroyed houses.

“The fears generated by the egregious and grisly attacks have forced at least 500,000 defenseless citizens in productive age-brackets to flee their homes and relocate to places considered to be safer to avoid being abducted and killed in custody or shot and killed at sight; or sexually harassed or raped to death in captivity, in the case of young females”, the group said in a statement.

The statement added as follows:

The Report also found that armed non-state actors (Fulani Jihadists, counterfeit agitators, death squads, street violent criminal entities, etc), numbering eight in Imo State had in the 29 months gone by killed 700 (400 in captivity and 300 in open shootings) and abducted 900 others.

Key Perpetrators Of Imo Mass Murders And Civilian House Burnings (Jan 2021-May 2023)

Governor Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State and funder/general overseer, Ebubeagu Government Militias of Imo State, the Imo State Commissioners of Justice/Attorneys Genera and Information as well as the Special Adviser to Gov Hope Uzodinma on Security from January 2021 till date.

Key security chiefs involved as at 2021/2022 include: Major Gen Toareed Lagbaja (as he then was), GOC, 82 Division, Enugu (2021/2022), Brigadier Gen Raymond Utsaha (as he then was), Brigade Commander, 34 Brigade, Obinze near Owerri (2021/2022), Brig Gen M. Ibrahim (as he then was), Brigade Commander, 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Abia State (2021/2022), Col Abdulsalam Abubakar Sambo (as he then was), Cantonment Commandant, 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha (2021/2022), Major H. Ahmed (as he then was), Commanding Officer, Onitsha Cantonment Military Police (2021/2022), Navy Commodore SH Abdullahi (as he then was), Commander, Nigerian Navy School of Finance & Logistics, Owerrenta, Abia State (2021/2022), the Commanding Officers of 211 Regiment of the Nigerian Air Force, Owerri (2021-2023), DIG Tijani Baba (as he then was), DIG in charge of Force Bureau of Criminal Intelligence/Intelligence Response Teams (IRT, 2021/2022), CP Abutu Yaro (as he then was), Commissioner of Police, Imo State (2021/2022), SP Bala Elkan (as he then was), Imo State Police Command Public Relations Officer (2021/2022), AIG Habu Sani Ahmadu (as he then was), AIG-FCIB, Abuja (2021/2022), CP Sadiq Abubakar (as he then was), CP-IRT (2021/2022), DCP Adepoju Ilori (as he then was), DCP-IRT (2021/2022), DCP Kolo Yusuf (as he then was), DCP-IRT, Abuja (2021/2022), DCP Abba Kyari (as he then was), DCP-IRT, Abuja (2021/2022), DCP Tunde Disu (as he then was), DCP-IRT, Abuja (2021/2022), SUPOL Vincent Makinde (as he then was), one of the chief torturers at FCIB, Abuja; Inspector Ekwueme Daniel (as he then was), “General IPO in charge of Biafra Matters” at FCIB, Abuja, SUPOL Abbah (as he then was), “Biafra Matters’ Prosecutor” at FCIB, Abuja.

Some of the torturers/custodial executioners at Owerri Tiger Base of the Police IRT as at 2021/2022 included Officer Ndidi, Officer Nickolas, Officer Ola, Officer Utaba, Officer Uzor, Officer Bello, Officer Ebele and Officer Omimi.

Those involved under 2022/2023 are Major Gen Umar Musa, immediate past GOC 82 Division, Enugu, Major Gen Aminu Chinade, current GOC, 82 Division, Enugu, Brig Gen Sani Suleiman, 34 Brigade Commander, Obinze, Brig Gen Adegoke Adetuyi, 14 Brigade Commander, Ohafia, Col M.B. Abubakar, Commander, 302 Artillery, Onitsha, AIG Abutu Yaro (repeat-perpetrator), DIG Sadiq Bello, DIG-FIB, Abuja, AIG Mamman Sandra, AIG-Zone 9, Umuahia, AIG Shuaya’u Lafia Abdulyari, AIG-FCIB, and CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, Commissioner of Police, Imo State.

95% Of Investigations Into “Biafra Terrorism” In Imo Inconclusive

Not less than 95% of criminal investigations launched by the drafted security agencies in Imo State and the South-East have ended up being ‘inconclusive’. Owing to indiscriminate use of ethnic and religious profiling, false labeling and class criminalization, most of the ‘investigations’ launched by the drafted security forces into “Biafra Terrorism” in Imo have ended up being inconclusive.

The inconclusiveness of the 95% of the criminal investigations is further fueled by rumor mongering, hearsay conclusions and biased and false security intelligence as well as general lack of modern criminal investigation skills and tools.

The Nigerian Military especially the Army which existentially lacks tools and skills for criminal investigations involving citizens not covered by the Armed Forces Act of 2004 has earned notoriety in ‘failed criminal investigations’; thereby swelling its extrajudicial killings, unlawful executions, abductions and disappearances’ records.

The drafted security forces have generally abandoned modern day technology and mental skill-ruled criminal investigations for ‘short-cuts’ including indiscriminate shootings, killings, and custodial torture and disappearances. DSS in Imo also uses custodial torture and starvation ‘short-cuts’ in place of diligent and ‘man-mental-machine’ driven criminal intelligence gathering and investigations.

None Of The “Biafra Detainees” In Imo/S/East Had Been Convicted Since August 2015

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has evaluated and found that there are no verifiable records showing that the Nigerian Government through its various police and DSS prosecution departments and the Federal and State Ministries of Justice have secured any conviction or convictions against those arrested and arbitrarily detained for “seriously involved in Biafra Matters” or “Biafra terrorism”.

In other words, there are no records of convictions secured by the Government of Nigeria or any State Government in South-East and South-South against any unarmed citizen or group of unarmed citizens arrested and detained for “Biafra terrorism” in Imo State since January 2021; or in South-East and South-South since August 2015.

It must be remembered that clampdown and crackdown on unarmed and defenseless citizens and their properties including dwelling houses began in August 2015 when the Government of Nigeria unleashed its coercive instruments on them using ethnic and religious profiling, class criminalization, false labeling and stigmatization.

The present Government of Nigeria which leaves office on 29th May 2023 or in four days time had been tagging street protesters, social function attendants or returnees and other unarmed and defenseless citizens in the East as “IPOB or Biafra terrorists/sponsors/supporters”.

The drafted security forces also labeled sundry street criminal activities in the Region as “IPOB terrorism”; and unleashed mayhem on unarmed civilian population and their properties.

Despite the Nigerian Government deployment of deadly force and prosecutorial vindictiveness on unarmed and defenseless Eastern Nigeria Judeo-Christian-traditionalist population since 2015 or a period of eight years, no convictions have been secured till date especially by the Nigeria Police Force and the DSS-two leading accusing, investigating and prosecuting authorities. Also owing to incurable lack of powers of “detention, investigation and prosecution”, the Nigerian Army and other branches of the Military have ended up shooting, killing and disappearing hundreds of unarmed and defenseless civilians abducted and unlawfully held in captivity.

For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety)

· Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist/Researcher

Board Chair @Intersociety
· Chidinma Udegbunam Esquire
Head, Campaign and Publicity Department @ Intersociety

· Ositadinma Agu
Head, International Contacts and Mobilization @ Intersociety

Intersociety’s Contacts: Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: +2348174090052Email: info@intersociety-org.ng: Website: https://intersociety-ng.org

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