NHRC probing ‘killing of 492 Shiites by Army, police-Falana

Falana

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has admitted probing into the alleged killing of over 490 Shiites by the Nigerian Army and the police in the last four years.

The confirmation of the probe by the NHRC was contained in a letter addressed to human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, sequel to his petition to the commission, requesting that it probed the “illegal killing of 492 Shiites by the Army and the Police from 2014-2018.”

In a statement made available to Vanguard in Lagos, Falana noted that the commission had promised in its letter dated November, 7, 2018 with reference number C/2017/075/HQ and signed by one Valerie Duruh.

Falana’s letter had accused the Federal Government of complacency in spite of the duty imposed on the government to respect the fundamental rights of every person living in Nigeria.

It stated that the Nigeria Army and Nigeria Police Force have “embarked on the systematic infringements of the fundamental rights of the Shiites to life, personal liberty, fair hearing, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of association and assembly.

Understanding the military engagement of Shi’ite’ protesters 

“In particular, not less than 492 Shiites were recklessly massacred in Zaria, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano and Abuja by armed military and police personnel from 2014-2018. A number of other Shiites who were arrested for demonstrating against disobedience of court orders by the Federal Government were alleged to have been tortured to death in detention camps.

“Apart from such state sponsored killings the security forces have violently disrupted the meetings, religious processions, protest marches and rallies convened by the Shiites and thereby prevented them from protesting the illegal incarceration of their leaders.  General Buratai justified the brutal killing on the grounds that the Shiites had plotted to assassinate him.” The petition added.

It accused the government of refusal to probe the attack found to be “genocidal attacks unleashed on the Shiites,” adding, “in view of the shameless denial of complicity in the brutal killing of the Shiites by the army and the police we are compelled to disclose as follows.”

The NHRC has promised to furnish the lawyer and the public its findings.