By Punch Editorial Board
A decade after it took the law into its own hands by invading Zaki-Biam town and surrounding villages in Benue State, the Nigerian Army re-enacted that abhorrent trademark when soldiers invaded Izombe, Oguta Local Government Area, Imo State on October 8. According to Human Rights Watch, the soldiers, during their revenge attack for the alleged killing of 19 troops, massacred hundreds of civilians in the Benue incident in October 2001. Nothing much has changed since then, as the latest military atrocities suggest.
This time around, troops from the 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, Owerri, invaded the oil-producing villages of Eziorsu, Osobodo and Umuokwu in Izombe, leaving scores dead. Over 80 houses were razed to the ground, and 15 vehicles and 25 motorcycles were destroyed. The villagers had no option other than to flee their homes to neighbouring communities and bushes seeking refuge.
Among the victims was Pa Iwundu, 87, who was said to be in his room when the rampaging soldiers threw a stick of dynamite on the roof of his house, leaving parts of his body scalded. The family house of a journalist, Francis Onyeukwu, who is the Anambra State correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, was burnt down by the invading army.
The PUNCH investigation indicated that the bone of contention had to do with the sharing of proceeds from illegal refining of crude oil, which was going on unabated in the community. The report said that the altercation between the soldiers and some youths over the “sharing formula of the proceeds” led to the soldiers killing one of the boys Chukwunonso Iherue, from Umuokwu-Izombe, also known as Obera. Angered, the young people reportedly attacked the military men. The attack led to the alleged killing of two soldiers, the burning of their vehicle, and the loss of three service rifles.
The surviving soldiers, it was reported, hurried back to the barracks in Obinze, about 34 kilometres away, for reinforcement and invaded the community in over 40 vehicles, and four armoured personnel carriers.
A community leader from Umuokwu village, James Imo, said, “The problem arose from a misunderstanding between the youth and soldiers over crude oil bunkering activities.” The angry youths, on learning of the alleged killing of one of them, fought back, overpowered the soldiers, and as well took their guns and burnt their vehicle. An eyewitness said the soldiers ran to the palace of the traditional ruler for refuge, but the mob stormed the palace, brought them out and killed them.
No doubt, the locals involved crossed a red line by committing this horrific crime. The raging lawlessness and extrajudicial killings in the South-East is turning the region into a lawless society. It is reported that no fewer than 115 persons have been allegedly killed by security agents between March and June. Coincidentally, there have been several attacks and murders of security personnel, as well as stealing, unlawful possession of firearms, arson, and malicious damage to operational assets of the military and law enforcement agents.
This state of anomie is utterly despicable and condemnable, especially happening under a democracy supposedly being governed by the rule of law. It is only in a state of anarchy that such a descent into lawlessness and brigandage can occur without dire consequences.
As condemnable as the alleged killing of the soldiers by the angry youths is, the impunity of the soldiers is similarly reprehensible and unacceptable. Resorting to self-help by invading the community and unleashing mayhem on hapless citizens is outside the rules of engagement governing military operations in all democratic societies. A former director of the HRW, Ugandan-born Peter Takirambudde, said “the security forces have to protect, not to attack, the population.” This is nothing but the truth.
In a democracy, the military is subject to political control. Unfortunately, that seems not to be the case in Nigeria where security forces act with impunity and ride roughshod over the citizens. This should not be allowed to continue. The involvement of soldiers in internal security in the country should also be reviewed. It does not bode well for harmonious civil-military relations. This explains the recurrent human rights violations and extrajudicial killings reported across major towns and cities of the country. At present, officers and men of the Nigerian Army are deployed in all the 36 states of the federation battling terrorism, kidnapping, cattle rustling, pipeline vandalism, communal clashes, and other forms of insecurity. All these responsibilities could have been well taken care of by functional, decentralised police, controlled at the sub-national levels by the governors. Sadly, years of underfunding and centralisation of the Nigeria Police have left the force under-resourced, ill-equipped, and unable to carry out its statutory task of securing the country. To deal with emergent security challenges without incurring more collateral damage, policing should be decentralised.
To serve as a deterrent to others, we reiterate that the military authorities should be made to fish out for prosecution of all those involved in the Izombe invasion. Of course, there are fears that nothing would be done by the authorities, the same way those who orchestrated the massacres of innocent Nigerians in Zaki-Biam in Benue State and Odi in Bayelsa State under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration have gone off the hook. There is no place for such brazenness in a decent society.
The Federal Government and defence authorities owe Nigerians a duty to investigate the incident, identify the perpetrators of the dastardly act and bring them to book. This is the right way to give justice to the victims of the invasion.
Originally published at PUNCH.