Nigerian risks the wrath of the international community on account of the human rights abuses being brazenly committed by Muhammadu Buhari administration, frontline rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety), has warned.

The warning, contained in a statement issued in Onitsha by the group, is sequel to the launch, last Sunday, of a Special Report on the about two-year-old Buahari administration entitled Welcome to Bleeding Republic of Nigeria: A Land Flowing With Blood and Tears.

The statement signed by Intersociety Board Chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi; Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Programme, Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq.; and Head, Int’l Justice & Human Rights Programme, Ndidiamaka C. Bernard, Esq., outlined measures that must be taken by the Federal Government to prevent international backlash.

Entitled “How Federal Government Should Address Raging and Gross Rights Abuses Perpetrated By State and Non-State Actors in Nigeria”, the statement reads:

“If the present Federal Government of Nigeria is repentantly and remorsefully concerned over its current atrocious human rights records; by way of redressing them and avoidance of international criminal justice wrath (i.e. vide principles of complementarity and no impunity); then there shall a matching order to the Attorney General of the Federation and the Office of the Inspector General of Police by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to constitute a high powered Special Criminal Investigation Team into gross rights abuses committed by State agents as contained in the Amnesty International Report and reports of other notable rights groups and victim groups and individuals.

“The composition of such Special Criminal Investigation Team shall be expertly headed by Office of Police DIG in-charge of Criminal Investigations and; composed of representatives of Directorate of Military Intelligence, Military Police, State Security Service, National Intelligence Agency and their legal departments as well as office of the Attorney General of the Federation. The investigative personnel so chosen who must be serving members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Police; must be drawn from all the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

“The draft composition of the Special Criminal Investigation shall be prepared by the Attorney General of the Federation and taken to the Federal Executive Council for amendment, modifications and ratification.

“After ratification, the FEC shall make same public and its scope of criminal investigation shall mandatorily include: killings perpetrated by Army and other security personnel in time and areas of peace or areas not under insurgency; otherwise called crimes against humanity; mass killing of unarmed and defenseless members of an ethnic or religious group particularly in non war situations; otherwise called genocide; and killing or death in military or security custody of civilians or non combatants in areas of conflict (such as Giwa Military Barracks custodial deaths that killed 240 civilians including 29 children aged between new born and five years; and the Rann IDP bombing that killed not less than 236 civilians), otherwise called war crimes.

“The Special Criminal Investigation Team must also embark on visitations to crime victims and group-victims as well as crime scenes. Administrative invitations with associated threats and intimidations to individual and group victims and their advocates as well as all forms of arm-chair syndromes shall be discouraged and prohibited by the Special Criminal Investigation Team.

“At the conclusion of the Special Criminal Investigations, reports shall be issued and approved by FEC; after which those indicted shall be diligently prosecuted by the AGF, in accordance with Section 174 (1) of the Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution; while those indicted for war crimes (i.e. death of 240 civilians including 29 children aged between new born and five years; as well as the Rann IDP killing of 236 civilians) and genocide (i.e. killing of Pro Biafra Campaigners and Shiite Muslims) shall either be tried locally or handed over to ICC for further international investigation and prosecution).

“There shall be set up separately by the present Federal Government of Nigeria a Special Judicial Commission of Enquiry to ascertain as follows: (i) the roles of top security personnel such as immediate past IGP and his successor as well as the current Chief of Army Staff, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defense Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and the Minister of Interior in the referenced killings perpetrated by security personnel; (ii) those responsible for the massacre of Christians by the Nomad Fulani Jihadists (this is because till date the Federal Government of Nigeria has not declared the violent activities of same as armed rebellion or insurgency); and (iii) the identities of slain victims of Shiite Muslims, Pro Biafra Campaigners and Christian activists killed by Government security operatives and the Nomad Fulani Jihadists.

“The Special Judicial Commission of Enquiry shall be constituted by the Office of the AGF and approved by FEC. It shall have representatives drawn from (1) Amnesty International, (2) Nigerian Rights Groups including those based in the Southeast Zone; (3) the Federal Government of Nigeria bearing in mind its federal character; (4) Nigerian Armed Forces and Police; (5) Nigerian Bar Association; (6) the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria and its Kafanchan Archdiocese; (7) the ECWA Church; (8) the Christian Association of Nigeria including the PFN; (9) relevant Muslim groups; (10) the Islamic Movement of Nigeria; (11) the Indigenous People of Biafra; (12) Nigerian Union of Journalists, (13), etc.

“The Special Judicial Commission of Enquiry shall come out with three major recommendations: (1) punitive and administrative reprimands, such as dismissal or sack of those public office holders found culpable-vicariously and individually; as well as their criminal prosecution; (2) proscription of violent groups found culpable and criminal prosecution of its principal officers and foot perpetrators; and (3) adequate compensation of the individual and group victims of State killings as well as those killed by the Nomad Fulani Jihadists.

“Adequate and well publicised State apologies and constitution of the National Sorry Day for those killed outside the law in Nigeria.”

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