Apo killings: Knocks for Army, DSS, AG

The Nigerian Human Rights Commission [NHRC] yesterday released its final report on the massacre at an uncompleted building in Apo, indicting the Army, the Directorate of State Security (DSS) and the Attorney-General of the Federation [AGF] for the murder of eight squatters.

In the 83-page report, the commission said the security agencies had “no credible evidence” to tag the eight youths killed last September as Boko Haram members.

The incident took place on September 20 in Apo District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where the security agencies stormed an uncompleted building on the information that the squatters were terrorists.

They acted on an allegation that over 100 Boko Haram fighters under the leadership of one Suleiman were hiding and planning to attack Abuja from the building, and had buried arms at the nearby Gudu cemetery.

In its report, the NHRC  queried whether security forces applied proportionate force to the alleged threat and whether those killed were lawfully denied their lives?

At the end of the day, the commission dismissed the claim by the security agencies that the victims were Boko Haram combatants.

There is “no credible evidence” to reach such a conclusion and for that reason, the victims remain in the face of the law, “protected civilians” under the Geneva Convention Act that governs the rule of law.

Besides, the NHRC accused the security forces of being trigger-happy, noting that their testimonies of “self-defence were inconsistent and could not be accepted. “Security forces acted without proper amount of case in the prevention of death”.

While describing the killings as unlawful violations of right to life of the deceased, the commission said the security agents did not only violate the right to life of the victims, but that the survivors suffered non-lethal violations of right to life, physical integrity and livelihood.

Accordingly, the security agencies and the Attorney-General’s office were asked to pay N10million to each of the deceased family and N5million to the 11 injured youths.

On whether some of the youths should be banished from Abuja, the NHRC said the security forces had no legal backing to exclude or internally banish citizens.

The commission also gave a two months ultimatum to the three agencies to review and harmonise rules of engagement governing the operations of security agencies and bring them into compliance with international standards governing armed conflicts.