Across Nigeria, some citizens who luckily escaped the wave of kidnappings and attacks by terrorists in 2021 were unfortunately killed by the overzealous state actors who ought to protect the citizenry.
In several cases, FIJ observed that state actors either blatantly denied extrajudicial murder of unarmed citizens or displayed unwillingness to transparently prosecute the culprits.
KILLINGS BY CUSTOM OFFICERS IN SEARCH OF RICE
On May 13, 2021, some personnel of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) were chasing suspected smugglers within Iseyin town, Oyo State, when the suspects turned back and engaged the officers in a gun duel. During the shootout, at least four innocent residents died after being hit by stray bullets fired by customs officers, while another person sustained injury, said multiple eyewitnesses.
Since May 18, when Shina Peller, the lawmaker representing lseyin Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, moved a motion to demand an investigation into the killings and compensation for the victims’ families, there has been no resolution.
In October 2020, the families demanded N4.5 billion compensation and an apology from the Nigerian Customs, but none has been regarded. The culprits have also not been unmasked, let alone prosecuted.
Although Joseph Attah, the spokesman of the Nigerian Customs, admitted that the case was debated in the House of Representatives, he denied having knowledge of the updates on the killing.
“The case has been taken before the House of Representatives. I am not aware of the resolution,” he said.
BENUE MASSACRE BY THE NIGERIAN ARMY
A contingent of local militants known as ‘Bonta Boys’, notorious for supplying arms to bandits in Benue State, allegedly waylaid and killed 11 soldiers sometimes in April 2021.
In retaliation, the Nigerian army stormed Konshisha, the community where these boys were believed to be residing, and killed over 50 residents. FIJ’s investigation further revealed that the military tried to prevent the press from reporting the mass killing.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to put it on record that apart from these initial 10 bandits, there are no other civilian casualties recorded in any part of Konshisha till date,” a statement signed by Onyema Nwachukwu, then acting director of defence information at the defence headquarters, read.
“We, therefore, challenge anybody from Konshisha to present to the public the 200, 70, or 30 dead bodies of innocent persons, male, female, or children killed by troops in Konshisha. There was never a massacre as being touted by some mischief-makers.”
Although the Nigerian Army denied the massive killing, a two-month investigation by FIJ produced evidence of at least 51 people that died as a result of the military invasion.
UNENDING POLICE BRUTALITY
Although Nigerians staged a nationwide protest against police brutality in 2020, police officers continue to kill innocent Nigerians.
Two prominent cases of this injustice are the death of Jumoke Oyeleke, a salesgirl who was hit by a stray bullet at the Yoruba Nation rally in the Ojota area of Lagos, and Monsurat Ojuade, an 18-year-old lady who was shot by a Lagos policeman at Yaba.
An autopsy report confirmed that Oyeleke was shot, contrary to the claim by the police that the lady died because she was abandoned after getting stabbed.
The absence of police witnesses at a coroner’s inquest is also stalling the proceeding at the Magistrate Court in Ogba.
Fast forward to September 10, a trigger-happy policeman killed an 18-year-old admission seeker after firing a bullet at close range. Samuel Philips, the killer-cop, has been remanded but his trial has yet to commence since last year.
Away from these two cases of extrajudicial killing by the police, which are being delayed in court, the latest incident was in the Meiran area of Lagos on November 5.
There was a bloody clash between the men of the Lagos State Police Command and tricycle operators, after the latter’s colleague was stabbed to death by a traffic policeman.
The officer was reported to have stabbed the tricycle operator when he refused to pay the former a N100 bribe. When community residents and other tricycle operators protested to the Meiran Police Division, the police dispersed them with live bullets and teargas.
At least three people, including the son of a visually-impaired woman, were killed during the chaos.
To date, the police are yet to assume responsibility for the incident or initiate an investigation into it.
FIJ sought comments from Adekunle Ajisebutu, the spokesman of Lagos police, but he didn’t answer his calls.
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