Walking a Tight Line between Fighting Non-state Actors and Human Rights Violation in Anambra 

Over the years, internal security operations of the military and other services have been dogged with allegations of human rights violation by affected communities. Recently in Anambra State, the military were accused of collateral damage in their war against non-state actors. David-Chyddy Eleke reports on the recent incident in Ogbaru Local Government Area

Since the expiration of the olive branch offered to non-state actors bearing arms in Anambra State in May, 2022, by the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, security operatives have not spared anyone who has been indicted for any form of criminality in the state. 

In the midst of the fight, security forces have bombarded several communities in the state where criminal elements are known to habit. Communities like Ukpor, Orsumoghu, Lilu, Ogboji, and many others where criminals have their camps have been visited. Casualties have been recorded, arrests have been made, buildings have been destroyed and other properties too, especially those belonging to the criminals.

Fight against Non-state Actors in Ogbaru 

Last two week was the turn of Ogbaru Local Government Area. Ogbaru is one of the riverine parts of Anambra, which has borders with Delta State, Rivers State, Onitsha in Anambra and other communities within the state. 

It falls into Anambra North zone. It is the only community outside Anambra South Senatorial district where criminal elements who have become popular as unknown gunmen were known to have camps and also operated.

 Ogbaru is also among the communities where Governor Soludo had declared state of emergency as a result of activities of criminals.

Nigerian military comprising the Navy and the Army, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Nigeria Police Department of State Services had stormed the community and engaged gunmen in gun duel, routing most of them from their camps, killing them and arresting many more. 

Governor Soludo who had spoken during an event to mark his 100 days in office had stated that operations were ongoing in various communities where criminals habit. Soludo celebrated the feat of security operatives, just as the army public relations officer, Brigadier General Nwachukwu had also hailed the efforts of operatives in the operation. 

Meanwhile, there had been a huge outcry about the same operation, with rights group, indigenes of some communities in Ogbaru, and even the outlawed group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) condemning the operation, and alleging that many innocent persons had been killed. 

Communities in Ogbaru, such as Ossomala, Umunankwo and Obeagwa communities were said to have been involved in the attacks, with many young people, who were described as defenceless and unarmed, said to have been killed.

Reports said the deployment of the military personnel in the area had begun in the evening of Tuesday, June 28, from Ogbaru Naval Base and Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment in over 20 trucks, during which the military claimed to be looking for unknown gunmen. 

The soldiers, according to information gathered, purportedly turned their guns on the defenceless and unarmed natives and others, who were labelled ESN/IPOB, while abandoning the forests where the locals said were the hideouts of the unknown gunmen located inside big river/swamp forest of Obene-Ochuche/Umuzu/Okija divided by Ulasi River.

Board Chairman of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, a rights group otherwise known as Intersociety, Chief Emeka Umeagbalasi, described the killings as a genocide. He said: “Several or dozens were killed in the end as you might have seen in the videos and pictures of the aftermath of the invasion. The rampaging military personnel also went into villages and broke homes at late night, forcing scores to be killed and other defenseless natives of the affected communities to escape through River Niger and others.

“The sanctity of human lives was never prioritised or considered, likewise the principles of use of force. The pictures and videos of the incident clearly connote ‘egregious and industrial scale massacre of unarmed citizens.’ 

“Our findings further showed that the slain could not have been armed members of the criminal entities because judging from the attached pictures and videos, nobody, not even relatives or friends of the slain would have dared nearing the corpses and wailing or screaming profusely or checking them if they are to be forest based members of the criminal entities or “Unknown Gunmen” especially the street criminal entities or counterfeiters.”

Also, The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) described the alleged extrajudicial killings as despicable. Reacting to the development in a statement by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful called on Soludo not to be tempted to be in any competition with his Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodimma “in killing our people.”

The group said: “The global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wish to call the attention of professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo to the slaughtering of his citizens in Ogbaru LGA and Nnewi South LGAs of Anambra State.

“IPOB family is deeply saddened with the ongoing massacre of innocent people with no traceable links to criminals by Nigeria Joint Military in an effort to curb criminality in the East particularly in Anambra State and Imo State. 

“It is very sad and distasteful seeing our people being massacred in their numbers especially at the Ogbaru and Nnewi South LGAs. We don’t know if Gov. Soludo was aware of this military exercise or it’s Caliphate government’s plans to wipe out larger number of Ndigbo.”

Group Denies Killing of Innocents 

The claims to the killing of innocent youths have however been punctured. A youth group, under the aegis of Igbo Youths For Positive Change said nobody among those killed is innocent as only criminals were targeted for elimination. The group said no one should cry for the criminals reportedly being killed by security operatives in Anambra State.

The national president of the group, Chinedu Obigwe, said this in a statement made available to journalists in Awka, the Anambra State capital. He said: “My reaction to this is that he or she that fetches ant-infested firewood gave invitation to lizard and should carry his cross. 

“Security agents are not after innocent people but they are determined to deal mercilessly with the criminals masquerading to be unknown gunmen and that is exactly what they are doing.”

Also lending his voice to that of Obigwe, the former chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, and contestant for the House of Representatives for Ogbaru federal constituency, Hon Arinze Awogu debunked the rumours of the killing of innocent citizens.

Awogu said: “My attention has been drawn to the seemingly uneasiness being experienced by residents of Ogbaru Federal Constituency which has created atmosphere of panic and general state of fear among the indigenous communities in Ogbaru following the joint operation carried out on Wednesday, 29th June, 2022 by the Nigerian military in different locations within Ogbaru Federal Constituency.

“The said operation and the fear of a repeat operation has left palpable tremble to pervade the land with heightened confusion now reigning supreme in our communities as unfounded rumours and misinformation have caused many innocent members of our communities to flee their homes and farmlands with the attendant consequences and difficulties, while some are making frantic efforts to relocate from their homes to elsewhere.

“We wish to inform our people as follows: That the military are not at war with Ogbaru and her people, Ogbaru people are not members of unknown gunmen, the military know who their targets are and not Umu-Ogbaru. The fear being entertained by innocent people of Ogbaru of a planned military attack on their homes should be disregarded as there are no basis for such plans by the military. 

“Innocent members of our communities should ignore all misleading information about impending military attack on Ogbaru communities, the people of Ogbaru are enjoined to go about their lawful duties and businesses without fear. You have no need to run from your house or farmland when you have not committed any offence and you are not a member of Unknown Gunmen,” Awogu enjoined them.”

Rebuttal 

The above stance mirrored that of the military that their attacks did not target innocent people, rather non-state actors who took up arms against the state.

For Director of Naval Information, Commodore Ayo Vaughn, it was only proper to debunk allegations of killing of innocent persons. In his reaction to THISDAY, Vaughn said the allegations were fake, insisting that only criminal elements were targeted.

 He said the operation “was part of the ongoing joint clearance operations carried out by all security agencies in Anambra State, including the  Nigerian Army, Nigeria Navy, Nigeria Police Force and the Directorate of Security Services.”

He described reported of the killing of innocent youths as highly fictitious. “This report is highly fictitious as it must have been sponsored by the terrorists. Nothing of such happened, and the situation report for that operation was forwarded accordingly.”

While the allegations continue, the state governor, Prof Soludo has assured that he will not relent in the fight against criminals in the state, until the entire state is reclaimed. 

Soludo also assured that the task of sanitising Anambra, which he plans to make a liveable and prosperous homeland, will never be compromised.

Quote 

Security agents are not after innocent people but they are determined to deal mercilessly with the criminals masquerading to be unknown gunmen and that is exactly what they are doing