Northern Elders Vow To Drag Ihejirika, Six Others Before ICC Over Bama Deaths, Extra-Judicial Killings In Borno

chief-of-army-staff-lt.-gen-azubuike-ihejirika-360x3691-292x300The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) yesterday vowed to drag erstwhile Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and six others before the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICCJ) in the Hague over their alleged role in last year’s carnage in Bama and Giwa Barracks, both in Borno State, during a battle between members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram and soldiers.

The Forum, however, did not reveal the identity of the other six persons.

A statement signed by the Chairman of the NEF and former Vice Chancellor of A.B.U Zaria, Professor Ango Abdullahi and made available to journalists in Kaduna on Friday, said that Ihejirika and six others were to be charged for extra-judicial killings carried out by soldiers in Bama.

According to NEF, the former Army Chief will also be charged with the others six for strangulation of civilians in Giwa Barrack, at an underground detention centre.

The communiqué reads in part: “It would be recalled that, the Northern Elders Forum had set up two committees of legal and security experts to investigate the details of the gruesome use of force against unarmed civilians in Bama and other parts of Borno State and forward appropriate recommendations.

“At our meeting in Kaduna on the 15th January, 2014, we received the reports of the two committees on Security and Legal Matters, regarding extra-judicial killings by soldiers in Bama and the act of strangulating civilians in Giwa Barracks using an underground detention centre, while depositing the corpses in hospital.

“The Forum has therefore resolved to harmonise the reports of the two committees, preparatory to filing a case of extra-judicial killings by the Nigerian Army under the then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika and six others.

“The reports will be harmonised at our emergency meeting in Abuja on Wednesday,   January 22nd, 2014 for further action”, the statement read.

6 COMMENTS

  1. No case. Go ahead and take them to what ever court you want to and from there the whole world will know the real commanders of boko haram. Why can this ‘ELDERS’ not be able to stop the murderers behind boko to stop the killings.