Onitsha killings: IPOB Drags FG to Court With N8.9bn Lawsuit

Posted by Thandiubani on Thu 24th Dec, 2015 - tori.ng

It is going to be a tug of war soon for the Nigerian Military and the IPOB as the group files a law suit against the Federal Government and the law enforcement agencies.

pro-Biafra protesters

The Federal Government has been slammed with an N8.9bn lawsuit by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for allegedly killing their members at separate incidences in Onitsha, Anambra state.

IPOB is also poised to drag the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the Inspector General of Police to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity. IPOB, in an application filed on behalf of deceased and injured members by the Kingdom Human Rights Foundation in a suite no: FHC/ABJ/CS/1035/2015 is demanding N8.5 billion as damages over the alleged killing and maiming of pro-Biafra protesters.

Joined as respondents in the suit are the President; Attorney General of the Federation; National Assembly; the COAS, Inspector General of Police; Commissioners of Police, Imo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers State Police Command; Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps; and the Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS).

According to the Sunnewsonline, the human rights group, through their lawyer, brought the application on behalf of IPOB and families of victims of various shootings by security agencies on October 20 and December 2, in parts of the South East and South South.

In the application, they sought a declaration of the court condemning as crime against humanity, the unlawful, cruel, inhuman, brutal and wicked killing (shooting) of unarmed, non-violent and peaceful protesters who are exercising their right to peaceful assembly, freedom of association, and right to self-determination as guaranteed in Section 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and Articles I, IV, XIX and XX of the African Charter on Human Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, by the combined team of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies.

They further demanded in the application: “An order of the court awarding N100,000,000 to each of those who sustained gunshot injuries and were grievously injured by a combined team of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police and other security agencies on October 20 and December 2015 at Onitsha, Anambra State, and in Owerri, Imo State; Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta State respectively."