Extrajudicial killings: U.S Congressman writes Kerry, demands U.S to Suspend Military support to Nigeria
By Okonkwo Isaac Somto
For Family Writers
World leaders continue to keep mute and turn a blind eye to the extrajudicial executions of innocent unarmed Biafrans been carried out by president Buhari in Nigeria. Tom Marino who's a member of the United states Congress has written a letter to United States secretary of state, John Kerry asking the US government to withhold security support to Nigeria due to President Buhari's content violation and abuses of human rights law, stating that his government has failed to uphold a democratic administration since he came into power. President Buhari's reputation as a tyrant and dictator has become more evident and alarming for all to see. John Kerry who paid a visit to Nigeria just recently, should know better than to consider offering military service and hardware to President Buhari in the midst of all the terror going on in Nigeria.
Tom Marino who also asked the State Department to refrain from selling warplanes and other military hardware to Nigeria until President Buhari establishes a track record of working towards inclusive government. In a two-page letter dated September 1, 2016 addressed to Kerry, Marino, a Republican from Pennsylvania who assumed office on January 3, 2011, said there were a number of warning signs emerging in the Buhari administration that signal “the man who once led Nigeria as a military dictator might be sliding towards former autocratic tendencies”.
The Congressman, who is a member of the Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs, and the Chairman, Sub-committee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, said Nigerian government must “hold accountable those members of the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Military complicit in extra-judicial killings and war crimes”. In the six-paragraph letter to Kerry, Marino also expressed concern over Nigeria’s anti-corruption war, saying “of additional concern is President Buhari’s selective anti-corruption drive, which has focused almost exclusively on members of the opposition party, over-looking corruption amongst some of Buhari’s closest advisors. Politicizing his anti-corruption efforts has only reinforced hostility among southerners”.
His letter to John Kerry reads:
“Dear Secretary Kerry, I am encouraged by the personal interest you have taken in aiding Nigeria and its administration as it takes on endemic corruption, multiple insurgent movements, and a faltering economy. However, I believe there are a number of warning signs emerging in the Buhari administration that signal “the man who once led Nigeria as a military dictator might be sliding towards former autocratic tendencies.” “I would urge the U.S. to withhold its security assistance to the nation until President Buhari demonstrates a commitment to inclusive government and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assemble and freedom of speech. A logical start towards this commitment is for the Nigerian government to hold accountable those members of the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Military complicit in extra-judicial killings and war crimes”.
“Human rights groups like Amnesty International have widely documented torture, inhumane treatment, and extra-judicial killings of defenceless Nigerians since President Buhari took office.”
Quoting Amnesty International Report, he wrote, “in the last six months, Nigeria’s military has unlawfully killed at least 350 people and allowed more than 168 people, including babies and children, to die in military detention.”
He further wrote: “The Secretary to the Government of Kaduna State even admitted to burying 347 of those killed in a mass grave. And while President Buhari promised swift condemnation, his words rang empty. Instead of swift reforms, Buhari chose to reinstate Major General Ahmadu Mohammed, who Amnesty International revealed was in charge of the Nigerian military unit that executed more than 640 unarmed, former detainees.
“Also, in separate incidents concerning the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Nigerian Army has killed at least 36 – the real number is likely higher – people since December 2015 in an attempt to silence opposition and quell attempts by the group to gather publicly.”
Describing President Buhari as a former military dictator whose reign (as military head of state) was cut short by a coup, he stated that the President has continually shunned inclusivity in favour of surrounding himself with advisors and ministers from the north of the country and the region he considers home. “Of President Buhari’s 122 appointees, 77 are from the north and control many of the key ministries and positions of power. Distrust is already high in Nigeria and favouring Northerners for key appointments has only antagonized the issue. These appointments are also primarily Muslim in the north and Christian in the south, adding a religious aspect to long-held regional biases. “Of additional concern is President Buhari’s selective anti-corruption drive, which has focused almost exclusively on members of the opposition party, over-looking corruption amongst some of Buhari’s closest advisors. Politicizing his anti-corruption efforts has only reinforced hostility among southerners,” he claimed in the letter.
He said the Obama Administration would advance justice by urging the Buhari Administration to act decisively to hold accountable members of the police and military. The congressman said, “This is a logical first step in making a demonstrable, sustained commitment to inclusive democracy, with distributed power in Nigeria. Until President Buhari establishes a track record of working towards inclusion, we ask the State Department to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to the country. “The State Department should urge President Buhari to form a government that represents the diversity of its citizens and allows dissenting voices to be heard. Democracy can thrive only if people are free to assemble, to express their beliefs, and voice their concerns.”
Since President Buhari assumed office countless civilians in Nigeria have been killed and abducted by the Nigeria Armed forces, in fact the death toll of civilians killed by president Buhari has risen to 7000. Over 4000 Biafrans has been killed and close to 1000 are still held captive. Even Amnesty International confirmed this after their investigation in Nigeria. The oppressive approach by president Buhari has led to complete hardship, poverty and economic meltdown in Nigeria. President Buhari's Human Rights track record remains poor and worse, even as a so-called democratic president. So the United States of America needs to refrain from selling President Buhari and his Armed forces any hardware or military gadget that would cause the deaths of more innocent lives.
By Okonkwo Isaac Somto
For Family Writers
World leaders continue to keep mute and turn a blind eye to the extrajudicial executions of innocent unarmed Biafrans been carried out by president Buhari in Nigeria. Tom Marino who's a member of the United states Congress has written a letter to United States secretary of state, John Kerry asking the US government to withhold security support to Nigeria due to President Buhari's content violation and abuses of human rights law, stating that his government has failed to uphold a democratic administration since he came into power. President Buhari's reputation as a tyrant and dictator has become more evident and alarming for all to see. John Kerry who paid a visit to Nigeria just recently, should know better than to consider offering military service and hardware to President Buhari in the midst of all the terror going on in Nigeria.
Tom Marino who also asked the State Department to refrain from selling warplanes and other military hardware to Nigeria until President Buhari establishes a track record of working towards inclusive government. In a two-page letter dated September 1, 2016 addressed to Kerry, Marino, a Republican from Pennsylvania who assumed office on January 3, 2011, said there were a number of warning signs emerging in the Buhari administration that signal “the man who once led Nigeria as a military dictator might be sliding towards former autocratic tendencies”.
The Congressman, who is a member of the Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs, and the Chairman, Sub-committee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, said Nigerian government must “hold accountable those members of the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Military complicit in extra-judicial killings and war crimes”. In the six-paragraph letter to Kerry, Marino also expressed concern over Nigeria’s anti-corruption war, saying “of additional concern is President Buhari’s selective anti-corruption drive, which has focused almost exclusively on members of the opposition party, over-looking corruption amongst some of Buhari’s closest advisors. Politicizing his anti-corruption efforts has only reinforced hostility among southerners”.
His letter to John Kerry reads:
“Dear Secretary Kerry, I am encouraged by the personal interest you have taken in aiding Nigeria and its administration as it takes on endemic corruption, multiple insurgent movements, and a faltering economy. However, I believe there are a number of warning signs emerging in the Buhari administration that signal “the man who once led Nigeria as a military dictator might be sliding towards former autocratic tendencies.” “I would urge the U.S. to withhold its security assistance to the nation until President Buhari demonstrates a commitment to inclusive government and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assemble and freedom of speech. A logical start towards this commitment is for the Nigerian government to hold accountable those members of the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Military complicit in extra-judicial killings and war crimes”.
“Human rights groups like Amnesty International have widely documented torture, inhumane treatment, and extra-judicial killings of defenceless Nigerians since President Buhari took office.”
Quoting Amnesty International Report, he wrote, “in the last six months, Nigeria’s military has unlawfully killed at least 350 people and allowed more than 168 people, including babies and children, to die in military detention.”
He further wrote: “The Secretary to the Government of Kaduna State even admitted to burying 347 of those killed in a mass grave. And while President Buhari promised swift condemnation, his words rang empty. Instead of swift reforms, Buhari chose to reinstate Major General Ahmadu Mohammed, who Amnesty International revealed was in charge of the Nigerian military unit that executed more than 640 unarmed, former detainees.
“Also, in separate incidents concerning the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Nigerian Army has killed at least 36 – the real number is likely higher – people since December 2015 in an attempt to silence opposition and quell attempts by the group to gather publicly.”
Describing President Buhari as a former military dictator whose reign (as military head of state) was cut short by a coup, he stated that the President has continually shunned inclusivity in favour of surrounding himself with advisors and ministers from the north of the country and the region he considers home. “Of President Buhari’s 122 appointees, 77 are from the north and control many of the key ministries and positions of power. Distrust is already high in Nigeria and favouring Northerners for key appointments has only antagonized the issue. These appointments are also primarily Muslim in the north and Christian in the south, adding a religious aspect to long-held regional biases. “Of additional concern is President Buhari’s selective anti-corruption drive, which has focused almost exclusively on members of the opposition party, over-looking corruption amongst some of Buhari’s closest advisors. Politicizing his anti-corruption efforts has only reinforced hostility among southerners,” he claimed in the letter.
He said the Obama Administration would advance justice by urging the Buhari Administration to act decisively to hold accountable members of the police and military. The congressman said, “This is a logical first step in making a demonstrable, sustained commitment to inclusive democracy, with distributed power in Nigeria. Until President Buhari establishes a track record of working towards inclusion, we ask the State Department to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to the country. “The State Department should urge President Buhari to form a government that represents the diversity of its citizens and allows dissenting voices to be heard. Democracy can thrive only if people are free to assemble, to express their beliefs, and voice their concerns.”
Since President Buhari assumed office countless civilians in Nigeria have been killed and abducted by the Nigeria Armed forces, in fact the death toll of civilians killed by president Buhari has risen to 7000. Over 4000 Biafrans has been killed and close to 1000 are still held captive. Even Amnesty International confirmed this after their investigation in Nigeria. The oppressive approach by president Buhari has led to complete hardship, poverty and economic meltdown in Nigeria. President Buhari's Human Rights track record remains poor and worse, even as a so-called democratic president. So the United States of America needs to refrain from selling President Buhari and his Armed forces any hardware or military gadget that would cause the deaths of more innocent lives.
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