June 30, (THEWILL) – The Calabar Branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Attah Ochinke, has faulted the governor’s directive to the army on the ongoing Nko/Onyadama Communal Clash.
The Calabar NBA made this known in a statement signed by its Branch Chairman, Attah Ochinke and secretary, Eno Edet.
Their reaction followed a recent statement by the state governor, Professor Ben Ayade, who “ordered the sustenance of army operation in Nko community until those behind the shooting of six military personnel are produced or fished out.”
Reacting to the directive, the NBA said, “we view the directive of the governor to the army to sustain its operations in Nko community as appalling and ill advised.
“It is common knowledge that the army is currently engaged in a reprisal action against the Nko community over the alleged shooting of six military personnel in the course of the crisis.
“The army is alleged to be currently engaged in indiscriminate shooting, summary execution and rape of hapless citizens in Nko community under the guise of fishing out the perpetrators responsible for the shooting of the military personnel.
“Houses and other properties are being burnt or destroyed by the military in the operation to fish out the culprits. The reprisal attacks are raw vengeance and not an investigation.
“law of armed conflicts, even in international scenarios, view attacks on peacekeepers as a heinous crime.
“However, we are appalled that the governor, with a mandate for law and order in the state, responsible for the welfare and wellbeing of all Cross Riverians, will urge the sustenance of reprisal attacks on hapless villagers.
“We know that those that have been killed, wounded or raped in these reprisal attacks are not necessarily the perpetrators of the attack on the soldiers.
The victims of the reprisal attacks are citizens in the wrong place and time without regard to their culpability. At this stage, the governor should be reining in the army and bringing the reprisal attack to an end.
“Urging the army to continue is to condemn more innocent citizens to a brutal death by soldiers extracting revenge for their fallen colleagues”, the NBA said.
They urged the commanders of the military units involved, the GOC of 82 Division, Enugu, the Chief of Army Staff, and ultimately, President Muhammadu Buhari, our Commander in Chief, to call the soldiers to order and bring the situation under control.
They also called on citizens with access to these institutions to intervene to stop the carnage. A scorched earth
policy as is presently being conducted, is a rebuke to the training and discipline of the Nigerian army, and an affront to Nigerian Law.
About the Author
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
