Amnesty International seeks justice over 2016 Biafra Day protesters’ killing

On Saturday, the fourth anniversary of the killing of about 60 pro-Biafra protesters in Nkpor, Anambra State, Amnesty International said the victims were still being denied justice.

In a release, Amnesty International said the Federal Government should ensure that those suspected of criminal responsibility of the 2016 killings are brought to trial and the victims and their families receive reparations, including adequate compensation.

In the statement by Osai Ojigho, Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, the body said: “Victims of the bloody killing in Nkpor, Anambra State, in which over 60 pro-Biafra protesters were killed and at least 100 injured by Nigerian security forces on May 30, 2016, are still awaiting justice four years on.

“Families and relatives of the victims of the 2016 massacre have been waiting.

“The tragedy of the Nkpor killing is compounded by the shocking fact that no one suspected to be responsible for the bloodshed has yet been held accountable.

“If the Nigerian government wants to demonstrate that it is committed to truth and human rights, it needs to ensure that the wheels of justice start turning far faster than they have done over the past four years.

“Despite overwhelming evidence that members of the Nigerian security forces fired live ammunition to disperse pro-Biafra gatherings, resulting in the death of at least 150 people, no person suspected of criminal responsibility has been brought to justice.”

Recall that during Biafra Day celebrations in May 2016 in Onitsha, Anambra State, soldiers shot people in several locations. Rights groups said no fewer than 60 extra-judicial executions were committed in the space of two days, with a further 70 people injured.

The Nigerian military promised to investigate the killings but is as yet to release a report of a commission of inquiry it set up in 2017.  (Sunday Vanguard)

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