Rights group ask Buhari to pay $5bn compensations to victims of human rights abuses
- A rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, accuses the Buhari administration of killing members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria; members of IPOB and other pro-Biafra agitators.
- The group alleged that over 11000 unlawful deaths were recorded in the said 20 months under the Buhari administration
Just days after arriving Nigeria from the London on medical vacation, President Muhammdu Buhari has been asked to pay the sum of $5bn compensations to victims of alleged human rights abuses and extra-judicial killings in the country.
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A rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law made the demand in Anambra state on Monday, March 13, when it released reports of alleged human rights abuses and extra-judicial killings by the Muhammadu Buhari administration in the past 20 months.
According to the Punch, the 40- page report which covered a period between June1, 2015 and 31st January, 2017, harped on the alleged killing of members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria; slain members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and other pro-Biafra agitators, the Kaduna killings and what the group called “custody killing” by the Nigerian security forces.
The Board of Trustees Chairman of INTERSOCIETY, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi said over 11000 unlawful deaths were recorded in the said 20 months.
Umeagbalasi called on the Buhari led government of Nigeria to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the heinous crime perpetrated within the period under review.
The report read in part: “The Buhari Administration/Federal Government of Nigeria should set aside $5bn for adequate compensation of over 1750 victims of state murders and 4000 victims of Police SARS/Army custodial killings as well as not less than 28000 unarmed Christians killed by Nomad Fulani Jihadists between June 2015 and January 2017.
“The $5billion State Crime Victims Compensation Scheme, which will be subject to 50 percent upward review every five years ; should be divided into four categories of : $1bn to members or families and group-victims (IPOB) of over 270 slain members of IPOB and other Pro-Biafra Campaigners; $500m to over 370 terminally shot and injured Pro-Biafra Campaigners; $1.5bn to 1120 slain members of the Shiite Muslims and their IMN as well as $500m for 400 of their members terminally shot and wounded.
“The sum of $500m should be set aside by the Buhari Government/Federal Government of Nigeria through its Ministry of Police Affairs for compensation of 4000 victims who may most likely have been slain in the past 20 months, by way of custodial killings arising from torture and willful custodial shootings.
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“This should be done on the basis of proper identification of dead victims by their immediate families and lawyers. The remaining $1bn should be paid by the Buhari Government to the families and the churches of over 2800 dead Christians who are victims of the Nomad Fulani Jihadists in Nigeria since June 2015.
The group said Buhari as the grand patron of "the Miyatta Allah Breeders Association of Nigeria had allowed personal sentiments to becloud his official position as the father of the country and protector of every citizen irrespective of his or her ethnoreligious and age background or identity".
In other news, IPOB has vowed to ensure that Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state does not return to government house after the November 2017 poll.
The group, reacting to statement credited to Obiano that IPOB is a toothless bulldog which is capable of words but incapable of action and being used by a few to enrich themselves under the guise of fighting for Igbo freedom, said the governor has crossed the red line and the consequences would be dire for his second term ambition.
Source: Legit.ng
