Killings Of Unarmed Protesters: Atiku Warns Service Chief: You Will Face Justice For Crime Against Humanity

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has warned that Service Chiefs will be held to account for crimes against humanity even after their retirement.

Atiku in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday warned against continued killings of protesters he said are unarmed and are exercising their rights in a democracy.

His warning followed several video footage and pictures showing men donning uniforms of the Nigerian military killing unarmed protesters in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina and some states of the country in the ongoing 10 days protests against bad governance.

Atiku had earlier admonished the government to be tolerant and allow people to express their grievances even as he advised protesters to be civil so as not to provide excuses for brutal intervention by the security agencies.

Since protests broke out on Thursday, there have been lamentations of direct shooting of unarmed protesters including onlookers like an unidentified teenage boy in Kubwa, Abuja that was killed on Saturday.

Journalists have also been hounded, tear gassed, arrested and taken to unknown locations. They have not been released days now.

The social media is trending with protesters returning home with broken limbs, injuries and left untreated by security agencies who prevented some of the injured persons from being taken for treatment.

Atiku cautioned that while the security agencies are allowed to do their job, killing of legitimate protesters who are unarmed would not go unpunished even after retirement.

He said, “I wish to convey a stern caution to the distinguished service chiefs and military commanders of Nigeria’s armed forces that those who authorise the use of lethal force against peaceful civilian protesters will be held responsible for committing crimes against humanity, even in the years following their retirement from service.

“The constitutional right to engage in protest is firmly established within our supreme law and reinforced by the judiciary.

It is the solemn duty of the government and security agencies to ensure a safe and protected environment for individuals exercising their right to peaceful protest,” Atiku said.

The Nigerian military like the police has a record of extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses.

Earlier in the year, the Fulani Waziri family in the Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State accused the detachment of soldiers deployed to Fatika taking their animals and selling their farmlands.

They also called for full investigation into the activities of the soldiers in the community, whom they accused of killing 12 members of the family without provocation.

The family listed those allegedly killed by the soldiers as: Nura Abdussalam, Adamu Abdulkarim, Yusuf Haruna, Buhari Haruna, Kabiru Haruna, Hussaini Haruna, Zinatu Bello, Haruna Idris, Waziri, Rayyanu Shuaibu, Alhaji Abdulkarim and Salisu Abdulkarim.

The army said it was investigating, many months after, nothing has been heard.

A pro-democracy group, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), has reported that security operatives in the country have killed over 13,000 extra-judicially from 2011 to 2021, a period of 10 years.

The culprits are most often not brought to account.

Reports of the ongoing nationwide protests said over 20 unarmed protesters have been extrajudicially killed since it began on Thursday…..Viêw_ More