Abuja Killings: The truth, lies and politics

BY LEVINUS  NWABUGHIOGU


Were the victims of Apo Shooting on September 20, 2013 really members of Boko Haram as advanced by the Department of  State Security Service (DSS) or mere squatters in an uncompleted building allegedly owned by a retired Army General? Was that a case of another extra Judicial killing in the Federal Capital Territory by the operatives of security agencies? Saturday Vanguard in this special report reveals all the sides of the story.

Like almost always, mum is the word. But the rage is on. The anger and the public outcry have reached a crescendo. Questions are flooding the streets. Whodunit? But no one, not even the Department of Security Service (DSS) which is obviously, centrally involved in the controversy could lend a more convincing voice. And the Army whose men provided military back-up from Guards Brigade, according to reports, is yet to officially tell their role in the development. The whole thing appears highly shrouded in secrecy. And the result is the festering hearsay in almost every quarter of the society.

On the day of the incident, Friday, September 20, 2013, Marilyn Ogar, Director, Public Relations of the DSS had said a shoot-out occurred between her men and suspected Boko Haram Sect members which unfortunately resulted to the death of some of the ‘insurgents.’ She also said it was a joint operation with the Army. But not many people heard Ogar say the Police were involved. Many Nigerians did not only describe Ogar’s submission as tacit, they also dismissed it with a wave of the hand, saying it lacked reasoning and logic.

But then, deaths were recorded. In one fell swoop, seven persons died instantly in what seemed to Ogar as a gun duel. At the last count, the death toll was 10 and other victims whose whereabouts were unknown as at Wednesday were over 26. When Saturday Vanguard called Ogar for more enquires, she conspicuously sounded regimental and swiftly dropped this: “I have no comments. I am the one who gives releases to the press when I have.” And then she ended the call from her end. But hers was better compared to Frank Mba, the Police Force Headquarters Public Relations officer (PRO) who did not respond to the text messages sent to his phone.

Could this be another case of extra judicial killing by security agents whom the law requires to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians and in most cases, arrest and bring to justice, culprits instead of summary killing? Fears and suspicions really abound.

Now, recall the controversial ‘Apo Six’ in June 2005, which claimed the lives of six young traders at the Mechanic Village including a woman who was said to be a fiancée to one of the traders. Recall also the underhand developments which indicted the Police over the shooting. Sadly, till date, justice is yet to be served in the case after eight years.

Indeed, like the “Apo six”, the incident on September 20 is also another Apo killing. And because of the number of casualties, many have come to tag it “Apo 10.”

The “Apo 10” happened in an uncompleted building located at the Kyari close, Zone E Apo Legislative Quarters, near the Gudu Cemetery in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

The story

The story is told in two parallels that prompt discrepancies. While the official position, being Ogar’s preliminary statement that swayed many Nigerians, corroborates the presence of ‘terrorists’ in the uncompleted building and a vexing fire-shot that got the DSS operatives and the soldiers triggered during an operation meant to excavate a cache of arms said to have been buried by the “insurgents” in the building, counter-arguments from the sorrow-stricken survivors of the shooting, eye-witnesses, concerned citizens including a member of the House of Representatives, the neighborhood, Human Rights Activists and sympathetic members of the public vehemently reject the official view.

Agreed that the dead were squatters in the building, they posited that the victims were young Nigerians who engaged in various businesses such as operating commercial tricycles otherwise called “Keke NAPEP”, Mai-ruwa (water supplying), sachet water selling, amongst other petty trading as means of livelihood. To them, linking the young chaps to Boko Haram was unacceptable.

Another aspect of the story has it that the building belongs to a retired Army General who became greatly irked upon a knowledge that squatters had taken over his house. Sources said that a few days before the raid, someone in the toga of the owner of the house had issued stern threats to deal with the squatters without further pre-information. But at the moment, the person’s identity is still not known.

And here a few questions arise. Why is the identity of the General or the owner of the building not disclosed yet? Why would the security operatives embark on a nocturnal digging of arms without first securing the environment till daylight? Where are the arms now? If the story of non-Police involvement is worth the salt, why would there be an operation of such nature without the Police? Why were the survivors of the shooting left without police protection even around their sick beds in the hospital since Boko Haram cases are considered high profile? Many questions, less answers.

Many Nigerians including Hon. Amiru Tukur Idris Nadabo, Member representing Bakori/Danja Constituency, Katsina State in the House of Representatives who spoke to Saturday Vanguard explained that such sites with heavy presence of young men who try to eke out a living were common within Abuja and its environs. Nadabo however said that the boys usually enter into an agreement with perhaps, the Mai-Guard (local Guard) in and around such buildings which would see them pay a token ranging from N100 to N300 each as accommodation charge per night. He said  that was the case with the victims of the shooting of which four of the dead were members of his Constituency in Katsina State.

Hear him: “As of now, we have four of my constituents killed and about nine of them are missing. We don’t know where they are. Since Friday, we have been trying to get in touch with those that arrested them. We are trying to locate where they have been taken. They are about 26. Some are from Zamfara, two are from Yobe; two are from Kaduna; and others from Sokoto and Kebbi States.

“I have visited the scene of the incident. Actually, it’s an uncompleted building. You see similar buildings around Wuse 11, Apo and Asokoro. You see these buildings being occupied by these hustlers, these Keke Napep drivers; people who push trucks and pure water sellers.”

The rent/threats

Nadabo told Saturday Vanguard that his late constituents had brought to his knowledge a threat by the supposed owner of the uncompleted building who threatened fire and brimstone. He also recalled an earlier disagreement between the boys and the “caretaker” of the facility which was later settled. According to him, he had plans to relocate the boys amid the conflicts but hesitated when apparently, relative peace returned.

His words: “Actually, they have local arrangement with security guys there. Some used to give N100, some N200, depending on where they are living. Like in Asokoro, I heard they are giving N300. About four months ago, there was an incident between these people, the occupants and the security. The Caretaker of the house took them to Apo Police Station. So, some of them came to my house and met me. They said they were given an ultimatum of one week to pack. Police came. So, I went to see the DPO but I didn’t see him. I left my card behind. The DPO came and saw my note, went and settled with them because I went back to my constituency.

”So, they continued paying the money. So, three weeks ago, some of them came and said that the landlord asked them to vacate his place. I asked who was the man. They said he is a retired military officer. I asked what the security they paid N200 said. They said they will settle. So, I said if there was anything, they should let me know. I even advised them to get a place in Durumi village, and maybe three or four of them will be sleeping in one room.

So, they left. Before they left, I told them that if there is anything, they should let me know. So, when they didn’t come back, I felt there was nothing. And a day before the incident, somebody came and said, the landlord had threatened that this time around, he won’t call the Police or anybody. The neighbour said so. And if there is anything, the landlord should have taken action against his own security, not the innocent people that usually pay to sleep there.”

The shooting/ encounter with the Police

“But when I finished my prayer on Friday, I saw a text that an incident happened there. I wanted to go there but when I came out, I saw a lot of soldiers, military trucks and Hilux vans. So, I thought, it will be a mistake for me to just go there when I have heard everything that happened. I called somebody who told me they killed a lot of people. At first, they said they killed more than 50 people.

“I came home and tried to call the Commissioner of Police. But I couldn’t get his line. I called the AIG. He picked and I asked him if he knew about the shootings.

He said he knew about it. And with what he told me, I was so surprised that Police didn’t know about the operation. He asked me to go to the Commissioner of Police that he has just spoken to him. I went straight to the Commissioner.

We entered the office and he asked me to calm down, that his people were there. So, I was in his office when his people called that they were moving the corpses and people that were injured to Asokoro hospital. I immediately rushed to Asokoro. It was horrible. I met with CMD. We discussed.

The unknown Military General/landlord

“Later on, somebody came. I didn’t know who he was because I left for the mortuary from the emergency. Somebody called me and said someone came and offered to pay the medical bills for those that were injured. When I came, I met him entering his car with some soldiers following him.

I asked around and was told he offered to pay the bills. I asked to know who he was. Somebody said, it may be the landlord of the House. I said we don’t need anything from him. So, I started calling my colleagues. They came, about four of us and we started to make arrangements of what to do. I tried to meet with this man. But he had already driven out with a military vehicle following him.”

They were not members of Boko Haram

“We identified the bodies through their ID cards. Some were shot in the head. There was Nura and  Muktahar…they were from my constituency. They were not Boko Haram members. The people that did the shooting know they were not. Look, usually, if there is Boko Haram incidence, the government demolishes or takes over the house. They would do this and that. Everyone knows how they operate.

We saw how they operated in Kano, Zaria and even in the church; we knew how they operated in Madallah here. Why is it that they didn’t do that in that uncompleted building? Because, the building  was owned by a retired General? I want to be sure of the name before saying it. But the name won’t hide. Definitely, it will come out someday.

Journey to DSS Headquarters

In a voice ladened with the bitterness, Nadabo recalled how he and his two colleague-lawmakers were also assaulted by the operatives of the DSS during an attempt to meet with the officials in their office for clarifications. But he said he was going to fight to get to unravel the mystery behind the death of his constituents.

The mai-Guard (local guard)

“He ran away. We have been trying to get to him. But all we know is that he is from Kaduna.”

The next line of action

“We have got most of our lawyers and human rights activists and the Youth Council of Nigeria. We can’t allow this to continue to happen.”

Yusuf Abubakar, A survivor tells his story

Saturday Vanguard also went to Asokoro General hospital during the week. There, Yusuf Abubakar, a survivor in the attack shared a pathetic story.

“I could remember that a human scavenger came into the uncompleted building with his sack over his shoulders, and was vandalizing some electric cables and most of the occupants were not around that time, which was about 8 pm. It was the security guard in the building who caught him and called the owner of the house.

The reply of the owner of the building was to order the security guard to inform us that all of us who were occupying the house should leave the place under one week or he would deploy soldiers and to take serious action against us. This order was given on Wednesday last week, and on Friday, the owner of the building deployed armed soldiers at about 12 midnight. After they arrived, they surrounded the building and started shooting right inside the building, and we were over 200 occupants sleeping inside the building at that time.

“We were in total confusion and were running for our dear lives for safety and anyone who ran was gunned down by the soldiers.

The soldiers killed 18 of us, and we just lost one of us in the hospital today (Monday) out of the 13 that were brought to Asokoro General Hospital, while one of us was hospitalized at Wuse General Hospital.

Most of us were killed as a result of standing up, like myself, in the process of running out for safety, I fell and  was shot in my left hand.

I was wearing a white shirt which I removed and hid my myself somewhere. A soldier with his rifle came very close to my side, I thought he saw me, but he rather shot and killed somebody who was running towards my direction. I am very sure it was one of the soldiers who came for the attack but I cannot really tell how many they were.

“I am still carrying the bullet in my hand. The doctor only come to dress the injury and give me drugs and injection. One of the House of Representatives members from Zamfara State provides food for us. I am from Zamfara State; I am a commercial truck pusher at Garki Monday Market. People are just broadcasting that we are Boko Haram members which we are not. Rather, we are into keke NAPEP driving, commercial truck pushing, cobbling and selling of sachet water.”

My dead brother was a Keke Napep driver— Suleiman Adamu

No one would convince Sulieman Adamu that his brother was a member of the sect. All he knew was that his late brother was a tricycle (Keke Napep) driver.

He also shared his experience.“I was at Mabushi, where I received a call that my elder brother, Nasiru Adamu, was shot by some soldiers who came to where he was living, and he was taken along with others injured in the same building at Apo, and brought to Asokoro GeneralHospital. He was shot in the stomach and died this morning (Monday). He was married and had a one-year old daughter. He was a keke NAPEP driver.”

Victims were mostly our members—Musa Ibrahim, Abuja Keke Napep Chairman

Also, in a chat with Abuja Keke NAPEP Chairman, Musa Ibrahim revealed that most of the victims were licensed Keke Napep Operators.“This morning, we had to take the remaining two bodies to the mortuary, although one of the bodies has been here in AsokoroHospital mortuary since Friday. We took seven bodies on the day the attack took place and returned them to their various states of origin. The body that was deposited at the mortuary was as a result of us not being able to get in touch with the family but we have now contacted the family. Meanwhile, we just lost another victim who was rushed to the hospital that Friday. His name was Nasiru Adamu, and he hails from Zamfara .

“The seven that were killed on that day were all our Keke NAPEP members. We issued them the identity cards they were having. They had lived in that uncompleted building for over two years and were paying N200 weekly to the security guard of the building who is the caretaker of the landlord. Even the owner of the building was aware that these people were living in the house. He gave them an earlier notice, which was orally made, to quit the house on Wednesday but that has not  expired before the attack.

“After the attack, there were no security operatives around the building. It was our members who even informed the nearest police station to come around. If those who were left in the building were actually Boko Haram, after committing the act they would have ran away, and also security agents who came there would have laid siege till daybreak.

“As we know, those who lost their lives and the survivors were not Boko Haram members. We want the federal government to thoroughly investigate the matter and punish whoever is behind this dastardly act, because it is not acceptable,” he said.

Condemnations

Nadabo is not the only Nigerian who is angry with the security operatives. Many others expressed their regrets and therefore called for a thorough investigation of the incident.   

There should be a probe —Comrade Yinka Odumakin-Public Affairs Analyst

There are two conflicting accounts of what happened in that place. The Department of State Security (DSS) has said they are Boko Haram suspects who were hiding arms in the place.

And there is another account that says that there was an Army General who was trying to evict squatters from his house that sent soldiers to go and kill those people. Whichever one it is, I think the lives of people cannot be taken like that without investigations. Extra judicial killing is pure murder and those who committed such acts must be fished out.

And we must know the truth even if it’s what the DSS alleged. I think extra judicial killing is not the solution. They should have been arrested, brought before the law and punished. But when you begin to do extra judicial killing, you are abridging the powers of the state and you are taking the lives of citizens. It is only the court that can pronounce a person guilty. Any other thing outside that is extra judicial and therefore, I actually support a probe of what actually transpired; how those people died so that we can know the truth and prevent such from occurring in the future if actually they were innocent citizens who were killed by security agencies.

The security agencies goofed— Afam Osigwe—Ex Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Branch

The story security agencies told is phony. From the initial media statement issued by the Police and the DSS, they said they got information that Boko Haram buried some arms there and they went to unearth it around 3 am. Now, I found it curious because it’s strange for security agents to want to go and dig up arms by that time of the night. I found that very curious.

To my mind, the normal thing would have been to secure the place pending daybreak for them to carry out that operation. What I also found very curious in the whole report is that it is reported that the people who survived that attack and are receiving treatment at the hospital have bullet wounds at the back.

This is not indicative of people who are exchanging fires with security agents but people who were fleeing from the scene of shooting. When you receive bullet at the back, it means you are fleeing.

Thirdly, if these people are really Boko Haram and that they have gunned down some of them, it is also curious that in the first hours of their being evacuated to the hospital, there was no security presence; no security operatives posted to the hospital to ensure that they did not abscond.

This colloborates the statement of the surviving victims that they were mere squatters who were paying a token to the security person so that they would live in that house, and that they have earlier been warned that they had five days to leave that place or be dealt with.

I think this is not one incident we should hide under the generic term of terrorist activities so that the public will have no sympathy for the victims.

I think it calls for further inquiries. There are many questions begging for answers so that extra judicial killings of Nigeria should not be perpetrated under the guise of fighting terrorists. It is a careless and unlawful killing of Nigerians whose only crime was that they were squatters in an uncompleted building allegedly belonging to a retired General.

Security agencies are serving some interests  —Alhaji Shettima Yerima, National President, Arewa Consultative Youth Forum

They should call for probe. We are not running a banana republic where people will just wake up because they are security agencies and decide to take peoples lives at any given time without concrete evidence. Today, as a result of these extra judicial killings, we have the issue of Boko Haram that we cannot control.

The leader of the group was killed, not because he has not committed any crime but we are saying, take him through the process of law, probe him, make findings, let him make confessional statements, then execute him through legal processes, but not in this case where anybody will just wake up at any given time. Once there is an allegation, people will just open fire.

People will just kill people and get away with it. Whose interest are the security agencies serving? Are the security agencies working to kill people or to protect lives and properties. Those are things we must clearly define. So, to that extent, I am of the view that they must be probed so that others will learn. If somebody is found wanting, they should deal with that person. Nobody is above the law especially when innocent souls are being taken away like that. No, it’s really not right.

The APO killings is extra judicial murder— Shehu Sani, President, Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria

The gruesome killing of the Abuja Apo seven by the security agents stands condemned. The justification for the killings is untenable and stands rejected. The testimonies given by survivors of the extra judicial killings is revealing and raises ethical and professional questions on the conduct of the state apparatus. The narrative given by the security agencies, on the circumstances of the killings is an idiotic and unconvincing tale. It is a poorly written fictional script meant for the dumbest. We are for now convinced that the alleged terrorists murdered were squatters.

The culture of wanton killings and gross human rights violations perpetrated by security agents in the guise of fighting terror is legally wrong and morally unacceptable. The raging insurgency in the north was sparked by extra judicial killings in 2009 and is sustained by same erroneous strategy. We have not as a nation learnt our lessons. We cannot continue to accept excuses for arbitrariness and bringadage.

So much blood has been spilled for expediency. If we accept the extra judicial killing of ‘insurgents’ by security agents, we have logically issued a license for impunity. Fighting insurgency should not be an excuse to kill innocent persons and commit heinous atrocities with the seal or stamp of the state.

The Apo seven killings is a micro indicator of carnage and massacre going on behind the veil of the state of emergency in the North eastern part of the country. It also stands condemned. Discretion, accountability and responsibility in the use of lethal force is indispensable in a free and democratic state.

The state has a moral and constitutional duty to combat violence and terror and restore peace but not at the price of the life of innocent persons. We demand that the Federal Government set up an independent judicial commission of enquiry to investigate this dastardly act with the view of bringing the culprits to book.

There should be  independent investigation–Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says only an independent investigation by Nigeria’s parliament, the judiciary or civil society will unravel the facts behind the killing of the citizens with 16 others injured in the reported shooting incident in the neighborhood of the Apo legislative quarters of Abuja, the Federal Capital.Since the incident took place in the early morning hours of Friday, there have been conflicting reports concerning the shoot-out with the Department of State Security (DSS) claiming that they had a confrontation with the insurgent group, Boko Haram, while independent sources are indicating that the victims were economic migrants squatting in the uncompleted building.

In a statement by his media office on Saturday, Atiku said he became disturbed following the accounts by the Reuters International news agency as well as the local media that the victims were squatters who came under attack at the instigation of owner of the building.“For me, this issue borders on human rights, the rule of law and the sanctity of human life. Our security services should stick to their role under the constitution: make the country safe.” said Atiku.He said while every citizen should support the government’s efforts to counter terrorism and defeat it, allegations of abuses and extra-judicial killings must not be swept under the carpet.

The former Vice President decried the tendency of security agencies to profile certain Nigerians, in spite of constant denials to the contrary, saying that terrorist profiling was a fact of life today in Nigeria.

He recalled that in 2006, it took riots by Igbo traders in the Federal Capital Territory to force the government at that time to investigate, arrest and charge police officers that allegedly killed six Igbo traders they branded as armed robbers. “There must be an independent investigation into this incident to insure human rights and the rule of law. Things don’t have to get to this sorry pass,” Atiku cautioned the authorities.

NYA gives one week ultimatum for probe or…

Meanwhile, a protest by the Nigerian Youths Assembly (NYA) in demand of justice for the victims was on Wednesday was put off due to a peace meeting between the representatives of government, the Emir of Garki District, Alhaji Usman Nga, the National Union of Keke NAPEP Riders and the NYA. Spokesperson for the government and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. John Chukwu had appealed to the youths to abort the planned protest in the FCT and allow government more time to investigate the matter. This, NYA heeded.

In a statement forwarded to Saturday Vanguard, the National President of NYA, Comrade Nurudeen Mustapha said, “After the deliberation, we decided to give the government and the security agencies one week to set up an independent probe panel and to prosecute all the perpetrators of the Apo extra-judicial act, failure to do so after a week, we would mobilize youths throughout Nigeria to protest the injustice meted at innocent youths who were killed in cold blood for committing no offense.

“We believe that this kind of dastardly and senseless act by the security men must stop  before it gets out of hands. We expect the federal government to leave no stone unturned in getting to the root of this matter. We also want to appreciate and thank all human rights activists, especially Mr. Shehu Sani, for their patriotism and standing with us on the course to a just society.”

Senate’s intervention

Meanwhile, the Senate had on Tuesday plenary, after a heated debate on the killings directed its Committees on National Security and Intelligence, Legal, Judiciary and Human Rights to investigate the matter and report back to it.

Botton line

Indeed, two things are involved. It is either the security agencies were right or wrong. But even if they were right, some analysts still believe that their role was to engage and arrest, then bring to justice, but certainly not the outright killing of the suspects. But then, it is left to be seen what would be the outcome of the probe as most Nigerians are keenly watching to know if the matter would as well go the way of the “ Apo six”.



Source: Vanguard Nigeria