A Non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state for flouting a subsisting order of an Imo State High Court by forcefully demolishing the Ancient EkeUkwu Market in Owerri leading to many fatalities.
HURIWA accused governor Okorocha of illegal use of the armed forces to carry out a simple task of stopping possible breach of peace as a consequence of the controversial demolition of the longstanding market in the heart of Owerri city, an action the aborigines kicked against and successfully secured a pending interlocutory Court’s Injunction to halt the demolition but which has been brazenly disrespected by the All Progressives Congress governor.
The Rights group said the killings if not investigated and offenders arrested and prosecuted, then it would forward a petition to the International Criminal Court in The Hague Netherlands.
In a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Director of Media Affairs Miss. Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA deplored the illegal action of the Imo state governor which precipitated social upheavals resulting in the extralegal executions of unarmed protesters by armed soldiers and mobile police deployed at the instance of a man who is in total breach of section 6 of the Constitution which grants the Judicial powers of the State to the Court of competent jurisdictions.
“We are worried by the widening spectre of lawlessness and absolute disregard for the Principle of Rule of law by elected and appointed political office holders.”
HURIWA also affirmed thus: “We condemn the dictatorial and lawless administration of Mr. Rochas Okorocha of APC for violating the sanctity of the Rule of law and thereby occasioning the gross violations of the sanctity of the lives of the citizens of Imo State who were gunned down for only lawfully kicking against the unlawful and criminal acts of Government of Rochas Okorocha”.
“We will take legal notice of these infractions and will report the matter to the International Criminal Court in The Hague Netherlands so governor Okorocha and his lackeys who committed the atrocities in the demolished Owerri township market can be prosecuted for crime against humanity if the Federal government of Nigeria fails to bring these brutes in military uniforms to face the consequences of their unlawful killings”.
HURIWA said: “We demand that the civil society community in Imo state should also proceed to press charges against identified armed security operatives who committed these daylight extrajudicial killings of protesters who posed no harm to anyone but who were simply ventilating their collective outrage at the unconstitutional act of the current Imo State governor. Those who occupy government positions and believe that they will be there forever are deluding themselves and the likes of Okorocha must be reminded that political power is ephemeral and that the bloodshed that happened today will not go unpunished particularly for the perpetrators and those who deployed the heavily armed soldiers”.
Meanwhile, the OurMumuDonDo group has strongly condemned the flagrant abuse of power and ruthless demolition of the famed ancestral Eke-ukwu Owerri Market.
The brazen disregard for rule of law and human lives demonstrated earlier today by hatchets of the Imo state government depicts the stark decrepitude in which our nation has been plunged into, and the patent impunity being displayed by people in positions of power.
We deeply commiserate with the victims of this unprovoked and inhumane attack including the kids who were shot dead; the journalist from Vanguard Newspaper, Alozie Chinonso who was beaten to a stupor; and the numerous people whose honest means of livelihoods have been forcefully snatched as a result of this uncanny incident.
However, we are aware that the demolition of the Eke-ukwu Owerri market was a flagrant act of insubordination to a subsisting court order restraining the state government from carrying out such heinous act as well as an utter disregard for the wishes of the people who have heretofore opposed the vicious demolition. Hence, we demand an immediate and exhaustive investigation into the incident and a swift prosecution of the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
We emphatically state that such barbaric assault and obliteration remains condemned and unacceptable in our society. And should such executive lawlessness and impunity be allowed to continue, we may not be able to save our nation from the damning consequences that may lead to the ruination of our dear nation.
In conclusion, therefore, we urge the Federal Government to exigently look into this issue and admonish the Imo State Government to exert whatever ounce of humanity left in them to halt the demolition and develop a comprehensive compensation plan for the disaffected stakeholders in order to restore peace and calm in the state.
