Amnesty intnl. Indict Barde, 8 others in war crime report

By Evelyn Okakwu

International rights group, Amnesty international has listed nine top military officials for investigation into alleged crimes, which it describes as war crimes committed in the fight against terrorism.

The crimes which were allegedly committed in north eastern Nigeria were documented in its 2015 report, titled: “Stars on their shoulders; Blood on their hands.”

The report says: “HHHhorrific war crimes were committed by Nigeria’s military including 8,000 people murdered, starved, suffocated, and tortured to death”.

“War crimes committed by the Nigerian military, reveals that, since March 2011, more than 7,000 young men and boys died in military detention and more than 1,200 people were unlawfully killed since February 2012.

Amnesty international's Africa director, Natsanet Belay who read the report to journalists said: “The Nigerian military, including senior military commanders, must be investigated for participating in, sanctioning or failing to prevent the deaths of more than 8,000 people murdered, starved, suffocated, and tortured to death, according to a comprehensive report by Amnesty International”.

Amnesty international in its report alleges that its findings are: “Based on years of research and analysis of evidence - including leaked military reports and correspondence, as well as interviews with more than 400 victims, eyewitnesses and senior members of the Nigerian security forces - the organization outlines a range of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian military in the course of the fight against Boko Haram in the north-east of the country”.

It calls on the new government of Nigeria to do what it describes as: “Ensuring the protection of civilians and bringing to an end the culture of impunity within the Nigerian armed forces”.

The military listed by Amnesty international are as follows: Major General John Ewansiha,  Major General Obida Ethnan, Major General Ahmadu Mohammed Brigadier General Austin Edokpayi, Brigadier General Rufus O. Bamigboye. Others are: General Azubuike Ihejirika ­- Chief of Army Staff, Sept 2010 - Jan 2014). Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, Chief of Defence Staff, Oct 2012 - Jan 2014, Air Chief Marshal Badeh, Chief of Defence Staff, Jan 2014 - time of writing General Ken Minimah, Chief of Army Staff, Jan 2014.
fielding questions from journalists on the right of the Military to torture and scrutinies terrorists, Anna Neistat, amnesty international's senior director of research, said: "The Nigerian Military cannot equate itself with a group which it has termed a terror group 

The report further adds that: “A high-ranking military officer gave Amnesty International a list of 683 detainees who died in custody between October 2012 and February 2013. The organization also obtained evidence that in 2013, more than 4,700 bodies were brought to a mortuary from a detention facility in Giwa barracks. In June 2013 alone, more than 1,400 corpses were delivered to the mortuary from this facility”.

Amnesty international adds in its report that the new government must act swiftly in response to its allegations: As a matter of urgency, the President must launch an immediate and impartial investigation into the crimes detailed in Amnesty International’s report and hold all those responsible to account, no matter their rank or position. Only then can there be justice for the dead and their relatives.”
the report covers the period of March 2011 till date.

Questions and answers on President Buhari’s campaign promises/Inaugural speech

By Evelyn Okakwu

Ahead of his inauguration, earlier this month, President Mohammadu Buhari had promised to tackle majorly three issues; namely the economy, corruption and; top on the list, insecurity.

During its campaign preceding the election, the APC had stated that: “Nigeria urgently needs fundamental political reforms in governance, more transparency and accountability”.

In addition to capturing the three-fold objective

Barack Obama ‘lied about Osama bin Laden’s death’

Osama bin Laden

A top journalist has claimed that Barack Obama lied over Osama bin Laden’s death to make himself look better.

Pulitzer prize-winning Seymour Hersh said that the facts surrounding the Taliban leader’s death were actually glorified to help Obama win a second term.

He suggests that the Pakistani government actually held bin Laden in the Abbottabad compound for years.

It is widely believed that tracking of couriers led to the discovery of the compound, but Hersh writes in the London Review of Books, that it was actually ‘a former senior Pakistani intelligence officer who betrayed the secret in return for much of the $25 million reward offered by the U.S.’

He does not dispute the fact that Obama ordered the raid, but adds that ‘many other aspects of the administration’s account were false’.

Hersh published the allegations this weekend and he quotes an unnamed source, saying that there was actually no firefight. The only gunshots were those that killed bin Laden.

His article also says that he was buried in Afghanistan and not at sea.

Hersh wrote that the ‘most blatant lie’ was the involvement of the Pakistani military. The White House says the most senior military leaders were never informed, Hersh disputes this.

He also says that bin Laden was actually being used as a bargaining chip against the Taliban and Al Qaeda and Pakistan’s intelligence service had held him since 2006.

Hersh wrote: ‘The White House had to give the impression that bin Laden was still operationally important. Otherwise, why kill him?

‘A cover story was created – that there was a network of couriers coming and going with memory sticks and instructions. All to show that bin Laden remained important.

‘The SEALS should have expected the political grandstanding. It’s irresistible to a politician. Bin Laden became a working asset’

The 2015 elections and recommendations for improvements

INEC Chairman

By Evelyn Okakwu

The ongoing 2015 general elections has seen various faces of international and national analyses by stake holders putting together the events that have contributed to the success recorded by  Nigeria; as well as the many challenges surmounted by calculated attempts to maintain peace despite scary prophesies about the elections paving the way for the dooms day of the nation.

In the words of the Catholic Bishop John Cardinal Onayekan: “Although the elections are still ongoing; I believe that the worse is over. The peaceful nature of the elections, as conducted in Nigeria has proven that the hand of God is upon this nation. Those prophets of doom who had foreseen that the end would come for Nigeria have joined others in thanking God for his wonderful work in this nation”.

While Nigerian prayed and hoped that the elections would come and go, peacefully; international observers like the European Union arrived Nigeria, as far back as the month of November 2014 to commence election observation and provide credible information on the process of the election

As observed by the European Union’s Chief observer of the elections

Remain none partisan, avoid trouble-NMNSJ tells election reporters

Remain none partisan, avoid trouble-NMNSJ tells election reporters

By Evelyn Okakwu

The national Monitoring Network on safety of Journalists (NMNSJ) has called on all reporters covering the forth coming elections to remain none partisan and adhere strictly to the code of ethics for journalists, as well as electoral guidelines on media coverage of elections.

A statement signed by the NMNSJ secretary, Gbemiga Bamidele said: “As purveyors of information, our central disposition will enhance our integrity as the eyes and ears of the public.”

“At all times in the covering of elections, journalists should consider their safety to any threat that may occur.

We should make our safety paramount, always. We should also cooperate and work with security agencies.” The statement further adds that “In the event of any difficulties journalists are advised to call the National Monitoring Network Situation Room on any of the following numbers 08174496660, 09022577773, 09033000131 and 07056006888”.

The statement called on journalist to be on the guard for each other, adding that all election reporters” “Stay away from harm’s way for no report is worth dying for”.

“A reporter who runs away from danger lives to report another day”, the statement finally added.

Gampaign Gallor! Jonathan lunches sucess story on social media

President Goodluck Jonathan

Nigeria’s Supervising Minister of Information, Edem Duke, said Tuesday that the ministry will soon launch a fresh initiative to promote the achievements of the Goodluck Jonathan Administration on social media.

 

Mr. Duke said the idea was to use the most convenient platform to showcase the achievements of the present administration.

“What it means is that information must get to our consumers at their own point of convenience, using the tool that is most convenient for them,” he said.