A group under the auspices of Concerned Nigerians has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and all lovers of democracy and human rights in the world to investigate and prosecute Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd.), who was just relieved of his post as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), for crimes against humanity.
In a letter signed by its Convener, Deji Adeyanju, the group said that in 2015, Buratai ordered the army to kill over 300 defenceless Shiites on the ground that they “touched a General’s chest.”
https://twitter.com/adeyanjudeji/status/1354778655621308418?s=20
We call on @IntlCrimCourt to arrest and prosecute Nigerian former Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai rtd for his many crimes against humanity.
Buratai ordered the #LekkiMassacre #Shiamassacre #IpobMassacre and so many more. He has questions to answer. pic.twitter.com/5dhFY85PTT
— Concerned Nigerians (@ConcernedNIG) January 29, 2021
According to the group, that event has been appropriately tagged the ‘Zaria Massacre’ and has further worsened the insecurity situation in the country.
“Shortly after, Buratai ordered the Nigerian soldiers to kill hundreds of citizens of South Eastern extraction, in the guise of searching for members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“It is particularly noteworthy to mention that as at the time he ordered the massacre of IPOB members, the group had not been proscribed by Nigerian government,” it stated.
The retired General was also implicated in the killing of innocent protesters at Lekki tollgate, Lagos, on October 20, 2020.
“Based on the foregoing, among other human rights abuses, we call on the ICC and friends of Nigeria to urgently investigate, arrest and prosecute Buratai, to serve as deterrent to military chiefs and their civilian collaborators, who have made it a point of duty to indiscriminately abuse human rights,” the letter added.
SIMILARLY, the Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province (Anglican Communion), Emmanuel Chukwuma, called for the probe of immediate past service chiefs, saying it would help keep the new ones on their toes.
Speaking to reporters in Enugu yesterday, Chukwuma noted that it was general knowledge that much of the country’s resources was spent on security during their reign, yet insecurity increased.
He decried the continuation of the marginalisation of the South East zone in the security architecture and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint the next Inspector General of Police (IGP) from the zone.
He said: “As we commend the Commander in Chief, Muhammadu Buhari, for the appointment of the four service chiefs, Nigerians are expecting a new turn in the defence and security of Nigeria. A lot of money has been released and spent for defence, including the money sent to America for equipment. But it is important for us to note that these service chiefs, despite all the money released, did not perform up to expectation. They did not do much to end Boko Haram and insurgency.
“It took Nigeria three years to end the civil war, but now, for over 11 years, Boko Haram has not ended. It is a shame and disgrace to the armed forces, with all these bandits and kidnappings going on.”
