Igbo groups in the United States have condemned orders given by the acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to “shoot-at-sight,” youths in the South East and South South region, adding that legitimate actions would be taken against the IGP, and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, if the attacks continues.
The groups; World Igbo Congress (WIC), Igbo World Assembly (IWA), and Nzuko Umunna, said they were notified of the worsening security challenges in Nigeria, and “how terrorists, killer herdsmen, and bandits, that hitherto were in some parts of the North, taking their tolls on the Southern part of the country”.
According to the groups, the utterance from the Presidency, government, and law enforcement officials were laced with a desire to turn the region into a war zone. The worst case scenario was the latest comment credited to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba.
In a statement jointly signed by Prof Anthony Ejiofor, Chairman World Igbo Congress, Igbo World Assembly, Sir, Ngozi Odumuko, Executive Secretary, Nzuko Umunna, and Elder Amadiebube Mbama, Cordinator, Joint Action Committee quoted the IGP, to have said:
“If anyone accuse you of human rights violation, the report will come to my table, and you know what I will do, so take the battle to them, wherever they are, and kill them all, don’t wait for an order”.
Reacting, the Igbo group stated that “if the (IGP’s) statement is true, it is a call for genocide, extra-judicial killings, and human violations against people of the South East, and South South region.
“Not only are we shocked that the IGP, Baba, did not deny and disassociate himself from such statement, we are equally surprised that the presidency failed to call him to order, and reassure the people of the zones, who are already traumatized by such order, that this is not the case.
“We want to believe that this is not a state policy to designate the old Eastern region as an occupied territory, since the end of the Biafra-Nigeria Civil War.
“Ndigbo in the diaspora condemns the shoot-at-sight is order given by the IGP, and the military chiefs as part of the rule of engagements, which violates Geneva convention on laws protecting civilians in conflict.
“Ndigbo in the United States have commenced actions to hold the police chief to account, and the commander in chief of the armed forces, for declaration of war on citizens of Nigeria, particularly in the South East and South South regions.
“We want to bring the attention of the IGP, service chiefs, and presidency that the International Conventions and International rules are not being followed in the latest rules of engagement for their operations in Igbo land, and therefore constitute acts or intent to commit genocide.
“We urge the government to explore dialogue as an avenue to lasting peace in the regions, and not a military Era of shoot-at-sight order.
“We are asking the government to engage with the people and leaders of these regions to assuage the grievances, which borders on marginalization and systemic discrimination.
“We are also using this opportunity to inform the International Community and human rights organizations, that if the government and law enforcement agencies continues with the bloodletting, then President Muhammadu Buhari, and his service chiefs have cases to answer at the International Criminal Court.
“We call on the Federal Government to embrace the 12 point agenda adopted by the governors of the Southern Nigeria, especially on restructuring, state policing and open grazing of livestock”
Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News | May 23, 2021
