USA Africa Dialogue Series - NIGERIAN POLICE SLAUGHTER OF NDIIGBO IN ONITSHA :16 killed, 83 injured as security operatives raid MASSOB offices[ THE IGBO AND THE NIGERIAN STATE]

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Subject: [AnambraForum] 16 killed, 83 injured as security operatives raid MASSOB offices

 

16 killed, 83 injured as security operatives raid MASSOB offices

Guardian Wednesday, 06 June 2012 00:00 From Uzoma Nzeagwu , Awka. News - National 

A COMBINED team of the police, army and other security operatives yesterday killed about 16 members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and  injured  83 others as they raided the offices  of the group in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State and its environs.

Also arrested during the raid that lasted from Monday night to yesterday morning were over 500  members of the group, including women at different locations in the state.

The MASSOB National Director of Information and the Onitsha Region Four Administrator, Uchenna Madu and Chief Arinze Igbani, who briefed reporters over the incident, declared that the raid on their offices by the security operatives was unwarranted and provocative, saying that it was a renewed plot by the army to resume a systematic clampdown on MASSOB.

Madu said : "At about 5 p.m., a detachment of security operatives, numbering over 50, allegedly broke into MASSOB office along 'Pam Pam' lane at the Onitsha Main Market. They vandalized the office, set the Biafran flag ablaze and then ordered all those in the  neighbourhood to lie down in the flood."

He also alleged that the team  invaded MASSOB's central office along Kilometre Seven , Owerri Road, Onitsha where a security meeting of the movement was holding and opened fire on the people, arresting and  killing some of the  members on the spot. The team also allegedly made away with the bodies of the dead persons.

The MASSOB leaders urged the immediate and unconditional release of all its members that were arrested or they  be arraigned  in court.

They also urged security operatives to stop further attacks on MASSOB offices, and that they should  respect the sanctity of the Biafran flag.

"MASSOB is non-violent, we have assisted the security operatives in fishing out criminals especially in Onitsha where we have handed over 15 n

otorious armed robbers and car snatchers to the police", he said.

They appealed to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Azubike Ihejirika and the Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar to call their men to order, suggesting that the state Commissioner of Police and the Onitsha 302 Army Commander should always contact the MASSOB leaders whenever they thought they were going beyond control.

When contacted, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Emeka Chukwuemeka, confirmed the operation but noted that he was yet to be officially briefed on the number of arrests and casualties recorded.

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: obi enweze <obienweze@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 8:08 PM
Subject: [NaijaPolitics] NIGERIAN POLICE SLAUGHTER OF NDIIGBO IN ONITSHA :16 killed, 83 injured as security operatives raid MASSOB offices
To: AnambraForum@yahoogroups.com, UmuAnambra@yahoogroups.com, igboevents@yahoogroups.com, IgboWorldForum@yahoogroups.com, IgboOrgNYForum@yahoogroups.com, NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com, naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com, naijanet@yahoogroups.com, anambraforum@yahoogroups.com, Austin Umezurike <austinumez@yahoo.com>, umookeke@hotmail.com
Cc: augie <augokafo@yahoo.com>, eloka2@yahoo.com, CLEMENT ANYADIEGWU <clementoks2004@yahoo.com>, obelenwa@yahoo.com, dway2k@yahoo.com

 

NIGERIAN POLICE SLAUGHTER OF NDIIGBO IN ONITSHA   To All Men & Women with Good Conscience:   The mindless slaughter of Ndigbo by organized government continues. Two days ago, at least sixteen Igbos died in a pointless attack by the Nigerian police merely because they identified as members of MASSOB. There was no evidence that they posed a threat to the security of the Nation. Scores were wounded.   The Grand Experiment of one Nigeria where all ethnic groups co-exist in peace and harmony is increasing becoming an unattainable fantasy. This is moreso for Ndigbo who are treated with a different yardstick whenever an encounter with Nigerian authorities occur. For the slightest excuse, and under the flimsiest pretext, gun barrels are turned on Ndigbo. It has become such a usual occurrence that it does not get any more than a footnote mentions in Nigerian dailies.   Worse still, human rights groups, Igbo organizations home and abroad, and Igbo State Governments, are so numbed to human rights violations involving Ndigbo that they rather blame Ndigbo than challenge the Federal Government.   The recent massacre in Onitsha, of helpless young Igbo sons and daughters by the agents of the government, acting on under the color of authority is inexcusable. It is becoming fashionable for people in power to slaughter UmuIgbo in record numbers.   A MATTER OF DOUBLE STANDARDS

 

Boko Haram has repudiated Nigeria as a Nation. Boko Haram runs a shadow government and countermands the President's orders. Boko Haram has simply cast a firmament of violence over Nigeria and Nigerians live in fear as a result of their nefarious activities. Rather than pursue them to the ends of the earth and exterminating them, the Nigerian government has thrown out an olive leaf and is willing to negotiate with them.

 

If MASSOB operates with any of the Boko Haram's ultraviolent instrumentalities, the Government will use every arsenal in its collection to squash them. The biggest crime MASSOB appears to have committed is organizing a bunch of Igbo traders operating in the South East to wear Biafra Flag and Biafra Military fatigue. You would think that it would take nothing whatsoever for Nigeria's SSS to shadow MASSOB until they pose a threat to National Security.

 

Many might have missed the killing of over 16 young men and women just yesterday. This happened in the commercial city of Onitsha. The body count will in all likelihood, increase by the day and weeks, because the army inflicted substantial injury to 83 people, and as of today, is torturing 500 young men and women in overcrowded Nigerian jail. These men and women were alleged to be members of MASSOB, some of them are not even members of the said group, given the randomness of the arrest.

 

If you missed the news, you are not alone, because there was no form of outrage. The situation was poorly reported by the news media. Many newspapers did not even report it. Muted questions have been raised in whispers, and as usual many have accepted it as "our portion."

 

Contrast this with the treatment of other militant groups such as those in the Niger Delta, The Northern part of Nigeria and even in the West. It simply defies logic and commonsense. While the legitimacy of these groups remains questionable, the fact is that, today, many of such groups exists and are even accepted by government as part of the system. Some have even been given plum jobs in Federal agencies and others sent abroad for training.

 

On the contrary, members of MASSOB who continue to pledge non-violence approaches to their struggle are being singled out and killed in record numbers. This is happening just while radical groups who use violence means including but not limited to, kidnapping, bombing, massive killing, attack on government installation, etc are treated with kid gloves.

 

THE SHOOT AT SIGHT STANDING ORDER MUST BE REVOKED

In prosecuting the war against Boko Haram terrorism, one is apt to notice the clinical and respectful manner in which the government has gone about it. Care is taken not to blanket the whole North in a State of Emergency. Boko Haram insurgents are held in prison and treated with soft gloves and in some cases, die hard Boko Haram operatives have simply walked out of police custody unmolested. Despite videos and photographs of Boko Haram marauders unleashing terror on innocent Nigerians, none of those marauders appear to have been accosted. The double standard is evident.

 

Contrast that with an apparent standing order to shoot first and ask questions latter when it comes to MASSOB. It happened during the regime of Obasanjo, his command then was simple, "go to Anambra and shoot every young man at sight." The Army did exactly that, by the time it was over, hundreds of young men and women were slaughtered in cold blood and the streets of Onitshas were littered with dead men and women in their prime.

I was home during that period, Onitsha was a ghost city. Surrounding communities were not spared. Women were routinely raped, old women too old to be raped, mercilessly beaten. I witnessed it first hand, and must confess that words cannot capture the degree of mayhem wrought on defenseless Igbos.

 

WILLFUL FAILURE TO SITUATE MASSOB IDEOLOGICALLY IS PART OF THE COVERT AND CONTINUING WAR AGAINST NDIGBO

 

Is there any ethnic group more committed to Nigeria as a Country than Ndigbo?

Which other ethnic group is spread through out the vast reaches of Nigeria, living there indefinitely, earning a living there and helping to forge a sense of National identity?

It is true that ideologically, MASSOB has expressed a preference for a separate homeland for Ndigbo. However, the evident reality is that MASSOB is a fringe group and does not represent the views of majority of Ndigbo most of whom are spread out all over Nigeria.

One can understand the anxiety of the Federal Government if the argument could be made that MASSOB is a mainstream, seditious group and actually has the wherewithal to make good its seditious ideations. In that sense, the mow MASSOB at sight order could even make sense.

 

As it is, mowing these young men at sight just because they bothered to drape themselves in Biafran flag is simply a senseless act of killing and a continuing war against Ndigbo and it harkens to Igbo's sense of the 1966 pogrom when Igbos were slaughtered in an organized manner by mobs and government forces alike.

 

Let's not forget that the well financed and well organized Boko Haram has meanwhile ordered Ndigbo in their entirety to leave the North and have continued to make an unabated practice of violent cleansing of the North of Igbo elements.

Pray, tell me – who is being seditious in all practical terms – Boko Haram or MASSOB?

Pray tell me – is the SSS telling us that it has no clue where improvised explosive devices are being made by Boko Haram in the North?

 

Pray tell me – the well dressed suicide bombers who drive to their terror targets dressed in business attire with late model cars loaded to the brim with bombs – where do they get the money?

 

It is shameful that rather than addressing these issues, the Federal Government turns on unarmed, defenseless MASSOB members simply because they happen to be easy prey.

One wonders – when Dokubo Asari and the highly armed MEND were terrorizing the Delta area, what did Obasanjo and Yaradua do? They negotiated with them.

It seems that the Federal Government makes an open show of force when it is confronting under armed groups like MASSOB and when faced with the MENDs and Boko Harams of this world, the government pines for negotiation. The double standard is a disrespectful smack on the face of the Igbos and truly invites MASSOB to operate with the same violently sophisticated modalities of the Bokos and the Mends of this world if they wish to be treated with respect by the cowardly federal government.

 

NDIIGBO ARE UNDER SEIGE

 

Surely, the Federal Government has not paid any thought to what must be happening to the Igbo psyche in present day Nigeria. In Northern Nigeria, the vast majority of Boko Haram's victims are Ndigbo. Igbos no longer go to their regular Churches without severe apprehension of suicide bomb attacks. Commercial activities have almost ground to a halt as Ndigbo are afraid to traverse certain parts of the North with their goods. Ndigbo are sending the kids back home from the North and many adults are many Ndigbo are making plans to permanently relocate from the North to the South. Northern Nigeria has become a virtual war zone as far as Ndigbo are concerned.

 

Back home in the South East, Ndigbo live in morbid fear of kidnapping and Igbo land is no longer a safe haven for Ndigbo fleeing suicide bombers in the North. The Centralized Police Command under the Office of the Presidency has so far not tackled kidnapping with the degree of seriousness that it deserves and Ndigbo continue to live with morbid fear of kidnapping in their home States.

 

As if those violent assaults on Ndigbo are not enough, the Government shoots Ndigbo at sight in their homeland under the slightest provocation.

 

With all the bomb making centers in Northern Nigeria operated by well financed and well organized ; with all the violent suicide attacks on key nerve centers of the Federal Government; is there any doubt in any body's mind that the rag tag, under funded, ideologically oriented MASSOB poses such low risk to National Security that it is irresponsible for the Federal Government which has openly declared that it is under manned, to divert precious police and military resources that should be deployed to pursue Boko Haram towards pursuing that rather innocuous MASSOB just to make the point that Ndigbo remain second class citizens of Nigeria. Where is the outrage?

 

Moving on…

 

GOVERNMENT MUST ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO DIED IN DANA AIRLINE CRASH

 

Airline safety is the responsibility of the government all over the world. The fact that defective airplanes operated freely in Nigeria, is anther evidence of how dysfunctional our government is. In the case of the ill-fated Dana Airline, the airplane in question, operated with one engine, had long history of problems, was even in terrible state when bought by the Indian operator who had a license to operate in Nigeria with little or no oversight.

The gross negligence of the Federal Ministry of Aviation is the direct cause of the crash. The loss of lives was not only foreseeable but easily preventable. Federal Government of Nigeria must accept responsibility for her poor judgement in inaction where the have a duty to act. Rational minds will expect our government to apologize to the families of the dead and compensate them, but not in Nigeria. The Minister of Aviation and her ministry are proper plaintiffs in any civil action, and there should be lawsuits to at least deter future misconduct by people entrusted with the safety related responsibilities.

 

The word in the street is that, the Indian owner of the Dana Airline took the first international flight out of Lagos to his home country. A good question for our security operatives notorious for harassing and detaining innocent citizens, is why was the owner not detained or questioned?

 

URGENT NEED FOR VICTIM ADVOCACY

 

In my considered opinion, a man who cannot spend a small part of his time to advocate for the less privileged members of the society, is a selfish person. As the populations of victim/citizen advocates continue to age and even die, the younger generation has a responsibility to pick up where they have stopped. Unfortunately, we do not have many willing to pick up that challenging path and even those who try, quickly find out that our corrupt system have found a way to exploit the often vocal ones. The likes of Okey Ndibe who continue to aggressively advocate for a better Nigeria, where the average citizen is respected and cared for, often receive nothing but insults.

 

However, we must never be discouraged. What Nigeria needs more than anything is a zealous advocacy for the poor and defenseless citizens often called "masses" by the political class.

Please help by at least speaking out against the senseless killing of innocent and defenseless young men and women, who are being mowed down by government agents

 

Very Sad

 

Obi Enweze, Washington DC.

--- On Thu, 6/7/12, Samuel Ikedi <saanik2006@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Samuel Ikedi <saanik2006@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [AnambraForum] 16 killed, 83 injured as security operatives raid MASSOB offices
To: "AnambraForum@yahoogroups.com" <AnambraForum@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thursday, June 7, 2012, 8:50 AM

 

Ndi Igbo Ibem: The operational modalities of this MASSOB group is beginning to constitute serious embarrassment to the Igbo nation! These 'sissies' should either fight for their believed course or forget their said struggle. Nigeria is a jungle, where civility is a strange word to the security forces. Simply put, non-violent struggle in Nigeria is as stupid as the struggler! Why would a sane Igbo man expose himself to be brutally and brazenly killed on a regular basis, without fighting back, in the name of a struggle??? This manner of struggle is, indeed, un-Igbotic. MASSOB, as presently run, should please either rise up and fight back, if it actually believes in its struggle; or, please stop embarrassing US!!! Chief Dr. Sam Ikedi

From: promise onwu <previno2000@yahoo.com>
To: "AnambraForum@yahoogroups.com" <AnambraForum@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, 7 June 2012, 7:52
Subject: Re: [AnambraForum] 16 killed, 83 injured as security operatives raid MASSOB offices

 

Uwazurike is not ready for baifra, I think he is playing politice

From: Aniedobe <chrisaniedobe@yahoo.com>
T

__._,_.___

MIKE OKIGBO ote-nkwu-0523@msn.com via yahoogroups.com	12:59 PM (20 minutes ago)
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To Obi Enweze,
          I share your sorrow.  The Nigerian State that came into existence after the 30 months of  genocidal war against Ndigbo was designed to emasculate, disrupt and eventually eviscerate Igbo as a culture, civilization and a race. And so by the calculation of Arewa , Igbo as a race will not exist by the year 2050 A.D. And some us Ndigbo play into the hands of this evil designers, headed by late Generals Hassan Usman Katsina and Muritala Mohamed, a rabid hater of Ndigbo. General Katsina as the head of the military was the defacto ruler after the genocidal war and championed the design against Ndigbo and that was why he bluntly refused to re-admit former Nigerian army officers of Igbo origin that served in Biafra, while his counterpart in the Navy, Admiral Wey re-absorbed Ukiwe, Kanu, etc. General Hassan single handedly executed , Biafran hero, Colonel Timothy Onwuatuegwu with his revolver, after he was captured while trying to escape [See " Broken Back Axle by Professor Obi N.I.Ebbe"].

 

         After the war, Arewa then called Kaduna mafia established Alimajeri system of governance that is based on mass poverty and scare tactics to check mate and curtailed any influence Ndigbo would muster after the war. The Christian schools built by Ndigbo were taken over at the direction of Fed. govt. Opressive economic measures were put in  place to destroy the will of Igbo people to survive after the war-federal character & quotas, #20.00 given to Ndigbo, ban of okporoko and okirika, indigenization at a time Ndigbo had only twenty naira per a family, abandoned property program, lowering educational standard to accomodate the arewas so that they can produce quota professors, quota graduates and this enabled incompetent soldiers like Abacha to become Generals without passing staff college and Ango Abdullahi to become a professor.

 

         Alimajeri system of governance was developed and natured in the Arab world by Colonel Nasser of Egypt, after the small Isreal defeated the whole of Arab nations in their war of Independence. It evinces nationalism , obscurantism and later metamorphorsed into Intafida that promoted suicide bombing. Isreal was indefatigable and defeated all the elements of Alimajeri. Isreal defeated Alimajeri/ Intafida and that led to Arab spring that is rocking the Arab world right now. Alimajeri cannot survive in Nigeria without the cooperation of other nationalities. Other nationalities like the Beroms, NigerDeltans are now retrospective and advocate for themselves. Crumbs and the settlements as part of Alimajeri no longer appeals to them.And so Gboko Haram is Nigerian Arab Spring.

 

         In Nigeria today, Ndigbo are the last to be considered for a federal job, inpite of our  input and the high number of graduates we turn out. Federal quota is used to check mate us. 52years after independence all arewa could give Nigeria are suicide bombers and no single intellectual of arewa origin. They produce quota professors and oil block billionaires. I am yet to read any book or desertation from an arewa. May God help us.

 

 

 

                                            otenkwu.

 

       

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