Amnesty Report: scanty; wishy-washy; dubious

Tim Tochukwu

For Biafra Choice Writers

Why Amnesty International found it difficult to report what actually took place, is a shame considering what the group is known for over the years. Muhammadu Buhari, has been massacring Biafrans since he ascended power, and all Amnesty International can do is promise to produce a comprehensive report in future. Is the group waiting for Biafrans to be completely exterminated before releasing his comprehensible report?

Amnesty International (AI), the world renowned human rights group, has released its report on what took place during the last Biafran Heroes Remembrance Day Celebration of May 30, 2016. In the report the group, among other things, stated that Nigerian Military and Police shot at and killed about 40 unarmed Biafrans; and injured up to 50 more.

It reported that the killings started on May 29 and continued throughout May 30. “Before the march began the military raided homes and a church where IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) members were sleeping” the group reported. According to the group, the joint security operation, carried out by the Nigerian Army, Police and Navy, on May 29, was apparently to prevent a march they believed would be held by the Biafrans. “IPOB supporters told Amnesty International that hundreds of people who had come from neighbouring states, were asleep in the St Edmunds Catholic church when soldiers stormed the compound on 29 May. ‘I saw one boy trying to answer a question. He immediately raised his hands, but the soldiers opened fire…He lay down, lifeless. I saw this myself’” the rights group reported.

It went on to refute the defence put up by the Nigerian Military and the Police, which claimed that they killed the Biafrans in self-defence. To depose the Military and Police claims further, it reported that IPOB members had informed the Anambra State Police Commissioner of their plans to celebrate Biafra Remembrance Day, and requested for security to be provided for the procession.

Amnesty International then went on to ask for thorough investigation to be conducted on the whole incident. “These shootings, some of which may amount to extrajudicial executions, must be urgently and independently investigated and anyone suspected of criminal responsibility must be brought to justice…

“In addition there must be an end to the pattern of increased militarization of crowd control operations as soldiers are frequently deployed to undertake routine policing functions.”  Amnesty International also advocated.

The group however acknowledged that its report was not comprehensive. It reported that it had been researching the murder of Biafrans by Nigerian Military and Police, and would produce more comprehensive report in the future since such murder of Biafrans had been going on for some time. “Amnesty International has been conducting research into violence and killings of IPOB members and supporters in south east Nigeria since January 2016. A comprehensive report will be published in the near future.

For many of us Biafrans, the Amnesty International report is scanty; wishy-washy; lacked depth; and does not reflect all that took place on the day. Biafra Choice Writers consider it a duty to fill in the gaps for better understanding of those who do not understand the history of Nigeria occupation of Biafraland. Why Amnesty found it difficult report all the killings of Biafrans by Muhammadu Buhari’s men is still a mystery. How it had continued producing its report, and the scanty nature of this one it released appears dubious. It is indeed a shame considering what the group is known for over the years. The Nigerian government, under Buhari has been murdering Biafrans since the African Hitler ascending power, yet all the Amnesty could do is promise to produce a comprehensive report in future. Is it waiting until all Biafrans are completely exterminated?

The group might well have joined the imperialistic network media represented by BBC and CNN and their other acolyte media, which would never report any of the atrocities being perpetrated against Biafran people by Nigeria. These wicked media outlets of imperialists, have sold their souls to the devil, and so have been keeping mute on genocide going on in Biafraland under Buhari. It is therefore not a surprise to Biafrans that they refused to report the atrocities of May 30.

Biafrans had high hopes on groups like Amnesty International, but with this shallow report, and the way it had delayed previous reports, we are wont to believe that they have also sold their souls to the devil. Imagine them reporting that 40 Biafrans were killed; when nothing less than 400 unarmed people were massacred. Is Amnesty International telling the world that it was not aware that the bodies of the dead were picked up by the military, acid poured on them to defy identification, and then buried in mass graves? Is Amnesty International telling the world that it did not know that the Army went through hospitals in Onitsha and its environs to pick up those that were not completely dead, shot them and buried them likewise? Is Amnesty International saying that it did not know that the Army also picked up dead bodies from the morgues and applied same treatment to them?

To start with, those killed were neither demonstrators nor demonstrating as the uniformed may want to deduce. They were Biafrans who went out on May 30^th to remember and honour their dead. They were not pro-Biafran group or groups; they were Biafrans in the vanguard of restoring their country, Biafra, as a free and independent country. It is on record that Nigeria has occupied Biafraland by force of arms since 1970.

Amnesty International is of the opinion that Nigerian military and the Police used inappropriate force on unarmed Biafrans. We find fault with that statement. It was not a case of the military and the Police using inappropriate force, but a case of Nigerian forces committing genocide against Biafran people, as they have done several times in the past.

It was not 40 people that were killed. More than 400 Biafrans were murdered on the day, and three times that number injured. It is not a case of about 17 people being killed, it is a case of nothing less than 400 people gunned down because in the mindset of the average Nigerian, Biafrans – as slaves – do not have a right to honour their dead. Put differently, Biafrans were not breaching any law, but were exercising their rights to assemble and share mutual values; the Military and Police did not have to use force on them, because they were peaceful and engaged in a legitimate exercise.

Amnesty International must be quick to write its comprehensive report, circulate it widely, and insist that those that have committed genocide do not escape prosecution. That is what we have known Amnesty International for.