Politics FG to investigate state sponsored killings

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LequteMan

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Nigerian has announced on Wednesday that a probe into claims of state-sponsored killings dating back to the era of military rule would be opened, raising hopes that perpetrators will finally be brought to book.

According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) a public inquiry would be held into complaints it had received "bordering on allegations of state-sponsored killings or assassinations".

It said claims will have to be submitted for consideration within three weeks and that hearings would be held on a date to be fixed later.

This development arises after former president Olusegun Obasanjo had in an open letter accused President Goodluck Jonathan of training a private army to carry out political "hits".

Jonathan had denied the charge but ordered an investigation.

Under Obasanjo, who became civilian president in May 1999, a panel was set up to investigate cases of rights abuses and violations, including politically motivated murders under previous regimes.

But the inquiry's report was never made public.

In December 2001, Obasanjo's justice minister Bola Ige was killed at his home in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria, while a key opposition figure, Harry Marshall, was murdered in his home in Abuja.

Under the military dictator Sani Abacha, the wife of Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election annulled by the military, was shot dead in Lagos.

Several pro-democracy activists and opponents of the Abacha regime were also killed.

Barely a month after Abacha's death in June 1998, Abiola died unexpectedly in custody during negotiations for his release.



Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman of the NHRC, said the inquiry was not a witch-hunt but was aimed to deliver justice for those affected by the alleged abuses.

Amnesty International lauded the move, tagging it a "good initiative" while it was "an important step in ensuring accountability for the many unresolved killings in Nigeria since 1995" to Human Rights Watch.

"We hope that the National Human Rights Commission will be given unhindered support to carry out its investigation adequately and independently," said Amnesty's West Africa researcher Makmid Kamara.

"We trust that the people who are in charge will be given the scope to execute their functions," he added.

But both Amnesty and HRW said they hoped that any eventual recommendations would lead to concrete action, unlike previous, similar investigations that have led nowhere.


Nigeria is set to elect a new president and parliament on February 14 next year.

There are reports of rising tensions as president Jonathan is expected to seek re-election.
 
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