Nigeria: At least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra activists killed in chilling crackdown

The Nigerian security forces, led by the military, embarked on a chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions and violence resulting in the deaths of at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters in the south east of the country, according to an investigation by Amnesty International published today.

Watch the report video here

Analysis of 87 videos, 122 photographs and 146 eye witness testimonies relating to demonstrations and other gatherings between August 2015 and August 2016 consistently shows that the military fired live ammunition with little or no warning to disperse crowds. It also finds evidence of mass extrajudicial executions by security forces, including at least 60 people shot dead in the space of two days in connection with events to mark Biafra Remembrance Day.

“This deadly repression of pro-Biafra activists is further stoking tensions in the south east of Nigeria. This reckless and trigger-happy approach to crowd control has caused at least 150 deaths and we fear the actual total might be far higher,” said Makmid Kamara, Interim Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

“The Nigerian government’s decision to send in the military to respond to pro-Biafra events seems to be in large part to blame for this excessive bloodshed. The authorities must immediately launch an impartial investigation and bring the perpetrators to book.”

Since August 2015, there has been a series of protests, marches and gatherings by members and supporters of IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) who have been seeking the creation of a Biafran state. Tensions increased further following the arrest of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu on 14 October 2015. He remains in detention.

Extrajudicial executions

By far the largest number of pro-Biafra activists were killed on Biafra Remembrance Day on 30 May 2016 when an estimated 1,000 IPOB members and supporters gathered for a rally in Onitsha, Anambra State. The night before the rally, the security forces raided homes and a church where IPOB members were sleeping.

On Remembrance Day itself, the security forces shot people in several locations. Amnesty International has not been able to verify the exact number of extrajudicial executions, but estimates that at least 60 people were killed and 70 injured in these two days. The real number is likely to be higher.

Ngozi (not her real name), a 28-year-old mother of one, told Amnesty International that her husband left in the morning to go to work but called her shortly afterwards to say that the military had shot him in his abdomen. He said he was in a military vehicle with six others, four of whom were already dead. She told Amnesty International: “he started whispering and said they just stopped [the vehicle]. He was scared they would kill the remaining three of them that were alive... He paused and told me they were coming closer. I heard gunshots and I did not hear a word from him after that.”

He started whispering and said they just stopped [the vehicle]. He was scared they would kill the remaining three of them that were alive... He paused and told me they were coming closer. I heard gunshots and I did not hear a word from him after that
"Ngozi", a 28-year-old mother of one whose husband was killed

The next day Ngozi searched for her husband and finally found his body in a nearby mortuary. The mortuary attendants told her that the military had brought him and six others. She saw three gunshot wounds: one in his abdomen and two in his chest, which confirmed her fear that the military had executed him.

Amnesty International has also reviewed videos of a peaceful gathering of IPOB members and supporters at Aba National High School on 9 February 2016. The Nigerian military surrounded the group and then fired live ammunition at them without any prior warning.

According to eyewitnesses and local human rights activists, many of the protesters at Aba were rounded up and taken away by the military. On 13 February 13 corpses, including those of men known to have been taken by the military, were discovered in a pit near the Aba highway.

“It is chilling to see how these soldiers gunned down peaceful IPOB members. The video evidence shows that this was a military operation with intent to kill and injure,” said Makmid Kamara.

Deadly repression

Eyewitness testimony and video footage of the rallies, marches and meetings demonstrate that the Nigerian military deliberately used deadly force.

In many of the incidents detailed in the report, including the Aba High School protest, the military applied tactics designed to kill and neutralize an enemy, rather than to ensure public order at a peaceful event.

All IPOB gatherings documented by Amnesty International were largely peaceful. In those cases where there were pockets of violence, it was mostly in reaction to shooting by the security forces. Eyewitnesses told Amnesty International that some protesters threw stones, burned tyres and in one incident shot at the police. Regardless, these acts of violence and disorder did not justify the level of force used against the whole assembly.

Amnesty International’s research also shows a disturbing pattern of hundreds of arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment by soldiers during and after IPOB events, including arrests of wounded victims in hospital, and torture and other ill-treatment of detainees.

Vincent Ogbodo (not his real name), a 26-year-old trader, said he was shot on Remembrance Day in Nkpor and hid in a gutter. When soldiers found him they poured acid on him. He told Amnesty International:

“I covered my face. I would have been blind by now. He poured acid on my hands. My hands and body started burning. The flesh was burning… They dragged me out of the gutter. They said I’ll die slowly.”

I covered my face. I would have been blind by now. He poured acid on my hands. My hands and body started burning. The flesh was burning… They dragged me out of the gutter. They said I’ll die slowly
A 28-year-old man who had acid sprayed on him by a soldier

A man who was detained in Onitsha Barracks after the Remembrance Day shooting on 30 May 2016 told Amnesty International: “Those in the guard room [detention] were flogged every morning. The soldiers tagged it ‘Morning Tea’.”

No action by authorities to ensure accountability

Despite this overwhelming evidence that the Nigerian security forces committed gross human rights violations including extrajudicial executions and torture, no investigations have been carried out by the authorities.

A similar pattern of lack of accountability for gross violations by the military has been documented in other parts of Nigeria including the north east in the context of operations against Boko Haram.

“Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the government of Nigeria to initiate independent investigations into evidence of crimes under international law, and President Buhari has repeatedly promised that Amnesty International’s reports would be looked into. However, no concrete steps have been taken,” said Makmid Kamara.

In the very rare cases where an investigation is carried out, there is no follow up. As a result of the apparent lack of political will to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of such crimes, the military continues to commit human rights violations and grave crimes with impunity.

In addition to investigations, the Nigerian government must ensure adequate reparations for the victims, including the families. They should end all use of military in policing demonstrations and ensure the police are adequately instructed, trained and equipped to deal with crowd-control situations in line with international law and standards. In particular, firearms must never be used as a tool for crowd control.

Background

The findings of this report involved an analysis of 87 videos and 122 photographs showing IPOB gatherings and members of security forces in the process of committing violations and victims of these violations. 193 interviews were conducted.

On 30 September 2016, Amnesty International shared the key findings of this report with the Federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Interior, Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the state Security Services. Responses were received from the Attorney General and Inspector General of Police but neither answered the questions raised in the report.

IPOB emerged in 2012 and campaigns for an Independent Biafran state. Almost fifty years ago, an attempt to establish Biafra state led to a civil war from 1967 to 1970.

Probe The Reported Killing Of 150 Biafra Agitators – South East Senators

Senators from the Southeast under the aegis of the Southeast caucus have called on the Federal Government to investigate the recent report by Amnesty International accusing security agencies in the country of killing 150 pro-Biafra agitators, The Punch reports.

The Chairman of the caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said this in a statement, in Abuja, on Thursday. Abaribe said, “It is not enough for the Nigeria military to debunk the report; we, as a caucus, demand an independent inquiry in the mould of a judicial panel and urgently too.

“It is our candid view that such a panel would reassure the Igbo that the Federal Government is alive to its responsibilities, one of which is the protection and respect of the fundamental rights of all people irrespective of tribe or religion.

“Unraveling the authenticity of the report would help to prevent a reoccurrence just as it will engender unity in our country. But the most important to us now is that the report must be probed and those implicated must be made to face justice.”

Anenih Opens Up On Abiola’s Annulled June 12 Mandate

After more than two decades of silence over the annulment of the 1993 presidential election, former chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National Chairman of the then Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Tony Anenih, has opened up in a new book to be launched in Abuja tomorrow.

Despite the secrecy veiling its content, the planning committee for the launch gave an insight yesterday, saying the political class should “update itself on the story of intrigues at the highest level, as told by one of the unique players.”

Sealed lips greeted every effort to get snippets of the role the PDP chieftain played as contained in the book; his aides kept insisting the details would be made public tomorrow.

When The Guardian called Anenih, he was not available for comments. The Edo-born politician has been criticised in the past for not opening up on events leading to the annulment and alleged usurpation of the mandate of presidential candidate and billionaire businessman, Chief M.K.O Abiola, maintaining a silence that has infuriated many.

Former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, on June 23, 1993, while late Abiola was believed to be cruising to victory, announced annulment of the election, said to be the freest and fairest in the history of the country.

Babangida’s move culminated in the end of his stay in power, throwing the country into political turmoil that led to the emergence of General Sanni Abacha.

Information from the planning committee stated that Anenih “has opened up on how the bid by the political class to reclaim the now infamous June 12 mandate was thwarted by the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.”

The committee said further: “In his autobiography, titled, “My Life and Nigerian Politics”, billed for public presentation at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Saturday (tomorrow), Anenih’s narrative captures the various political events and developments that culminated in how Abiola won the presidential election, how the outcome of the election was annulled midway by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida and how the Interim National Government (ING), set up with Chief Ernest Shonekan as head to conduct another presidential election, was overthrown by Abacha.

Student Uses Falz As A Case Study For Her Project

A female student decided to use Falz as her case study in her project and this was Falz's response:

"Somebothy find deez babe for me plix"

This Woman Was Dumped by By Her Husband After She Stood Surety For Him

  

A 48-year old woman, Mrs Onyekachi Chukwu, was on Wednesday dumped in a prison custody after she went to the police to stand as surety for her husband, Francis Chukwu who have abandoned her and their six children and fled.

Mrs Onyekachi's trouble started after her husband, Francis Chukwu was arrested for committing a criminal offence and was detained by the police at Area M Police Command, Idimu.

Enugu State-born Francis allegedly obtained some money from one Raphael Chimaobi Ndunagu under false pretence and escaped.

The matter was reported to the police who trailed and eventually arrested and detained him at the station. Onyekachi, the wife went to the police and asked the police to release him to her and she stood as surety. She promised to bring her any time the police asked him to do so.

However, P.M.Express reports, when Francis was released, he abandoned his wife and their six children and fled and asked the wife to sort herself in the station.

When the police requested Mrs. Onyekachi to produce her husband Francis, she told them that he ran away after she was released from the station.

She said she had made efforts to bring him back, but he has even abandoned her and the children.  When the police could not bear the excuses any longer, the wife was arrested and charged to court.

At the Isolo Magistrate’s court where she was arraigned, she pleaded not guilty. The presiding Magistrate, J.O Adedayo, granted her bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety.

The innocent woman was remanded in prison custody pending when she will be able to perfect her bail condition. The matter was adjourned till February 9, 2017.

"Prostitutes In Zimbabwe Are Now Raping Clients To Make More Money!"

  

Hookers plying their trade in selected areas in Zimbabwe have reportedly become dangerous to their clients. They now team up with other male counterparts to drag clients into their rooms forcing them into s-x in order to beat the hard times.

According to H-Metro, the syndicate will be roaming the area and once they pounce on their prey, the hookers offer very affordable prices before they take you to their room where they search you and force you to have s-x with them for the money they would have taken.

H-Metro spoke to one of the victims who refused to identify himself and he narrated his ordeal after falling prey to three hookers. “I am a student and I was walking along Samora Machel where three hookers pounced on me and offered me s-x for US$2 of which I refused. “They insisted but I said I would give them the US$2 they wanted so that they will let me free but before I could say anything more, two more men appeared and helped the ladies to drag me to a room upstairs at a local hotel.”

The victim said, whilst in the room, he refused to have s-x but the ladies wouldn’t take any of his words. “One of the ladies undressed and lied on the bed naked and offered me s-x. I was cornered and I had to ask for a condom which they gave me and I had s-x with her while other two were looking.” “Whilst I was contemplating my next move, the other one requested to have s-x with me as well and I turned down the offer before she called the two men who were outside.

“As soon they entered there was confusion in the room and they searched me of all my valuables.” He added: “After the noise, the ladies shared the money and ordered me to leave the room while they remained behind with the two men.
“I had to plead for a dollar to use for transport home.”

However, the incident is not the first but several men have failed to open up on such incidents where they have been pounced on by hookers. Instead of reporting they are ashamed of making reports on such cases thereby giving them a gratitude to continue.

Meanwhile, H-Metro reports they hung around the area where some hookers paraded their ‘thighs’ and witnessed the same scenario. The hookers will be standing as individuals but as they negotiate their colleagues approach.

“I have seen men falling victims to hookers who just mob you and force you into their rooms where they can extort you. “One may assume people are in agreement but it won’t be that,” said one vendor who operates along central Avenue.

Osinbajo Tours Anambra's Industrial Sites With Ngige & Governor Obiano (Photos) - Politics

Gov Obiano leading VP Prof Osibanjo on a tour of Anambra's Industrial Sites... Exclusive Pictures! The Crew have visited Sabmiller Breweries, Krisoral, Pokobros amongst many other industries in Onitsha where Prof Osibanjo laid the foundation stone for Eastern Distillery & Food Industries... Next stop is Nnewi!

Recall that the Vice President’s visit is in response to a formal invitation by the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano who had assured the business and industrial communities in the state that he would take their complaints on the various challenges they were facing in the state to the Presidency for the necessary response.

Governor Obiano had made the assurance during the series of meetings he held with different segments of the society when he rolled out the Economic Stimulus Package to cushion the effect of the current recession in the country.

In this tour are members of the State Exco; Members of National Assembly including Hon Dozie Nwankwo, Hon Gabriel Onyenwife, Hon Chris Azubuogu, and many other dignitaries.

How I caught my father having sex with my sister - lady

A young lady has told a startling story about her father’s sexual involvement with her own sister in their home.

According to her, she had noticed her father’s closeness to her sister but didn’t know it has gone as far as sex. Read how she shared the story below:

Not real photo

”I have always sensed that my father was too close to my elder sister. The man was just too fond of her and obviously so. Over the years, I even grew jealous considering the attention he gave her to my own expense.

Me and my sister are my parents only two children. I used to tell my mother about what I felt about my father but she always waved me off. “It’s just in your imagination. Your father loves you all equally” she would say. ”Still I felt sidelined by my father and this caused some friction in the relationship between me and my sister though we still got along pretty well.

Well, I got admission to study Accounting in Benue State Univerity last year but my sister is still seeking admission. So I came home last week on a short visit and that was when I made the most shocking discovery of my life. ”I walked into the house quietly to surprise my family since they didn’t I was coming and I saw my father on top of my sister having s*x with her on a couch. I screamed and ran outside.

I sat down under a tree in front of our house badly shaken. I just picked my small bag and began to go back to school. I couldn’t handle it. Now, I don’t even know what to do; whether to tell my mother or just keep quiet about it.”

What will you advise her to do?

Police arrest man in Lagos for rapping footballers

A 49-year-old man named Frank Darlington has been arrested on Monday, November 21, 2016 by the Lagos state police command for allegedly rapping three 18-year-old boys in Lagos.

He was arrested after one of the victims was feeling severe pain in his anus and was forced to narrate his ordeal to his mother that the owner of his academy had sodomized him through the anus.

The mother afterwards reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Agege police station who immediately ordered for the arrest of the suspect.

Frank Darlington who was said to be the owner of the football academy in Agege Area of Lagos state accepted to have been involved in the acts since the year 2015.

” I don’t know what came over me, but the truth is that I have been doing this since last year because me and my players usually have bath together after training session, and that was how I developed the interest in the act.

”There was a day I invited a player to my house, and I had sex with him, but the next day, the boy refused to come to training, and I had to go to his house and his mother told me he was sick, but later I saw him training with another team. I tried my best to get him back to my academy, but I never knew they have reported the case to the police,” he explained

Meanwhile, Fatai Owoseni who is the Lagos state Commissioner of Police stated that the suspect would soon be charged to court.

Photos: Customer Battered After Asking An Ashewo If He Could Pay For Sex With A Boiled Egg

According to Daily Mail Moses Mushonga, 28, had walked up to the young lady in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe. Firstly he manhandled her, leaning into her bra and touching her breast. This did not endear him to the 23-year-old, called Chipo, but to add insult to injury, he then tried to haggle with his only asset.

Mushonga told her he had just spent his last bit of money on buying two boiled eggs, which cost 0.25 Zimbabwe dollars, the equivalent of less than a penny or a cent. Sadly he had already eaten one too.

Insulted by his attitude, Chipo flew into a rage, hiting hit him with a beer bottle, and then punching him in the face, before knocking him out. When he came round, Mushonga was bleeding heavily from his head. He told local media: ‘She could have just said no.’

Chipo, who was not charged by police, said she simply felt he needed to be taught a lesson about respect. Earlier this year the Weekend Post newspaper in the capital, Harare, reported that the economy was so bad that sex workers had reduced their prices to 0.8 Zimbabwe dollars – equivalent to half a loaf of bread. But they clearly draw the line at a boiled egg.