TheCable

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer,  has asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo to apologise for the killings in Odi, Bayelsa state, and in Zaki Biam, Benue state.

In November 1999, the army under Obasanjo reportedly killed 2,483 people in Odi. Also, in October 2001, the army allegedly killed many people in Zaki Biam to avenge the death of some soldiers.

Last Friday, Obasanjo urged President Muhammadu Buhari to meet with Nnamdi kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on the agitations of the group.

But in a statement issued on Monday, Falana said the idea of the president dialoguing with Kanu was a good one, but that Obasanjo must first apologise for the killings under him.

He also flayed former President Goodluck Jonathan for calling for a council of state meeting to resolve the IPOB crisis in the south-east.

He wondered why the former president did not call a council of state meeting before deploying soldiers across the country during the 2015 general election.

Falana also described the army’s declaration of IPOB as terrorist organisation as unconstitutional.

He urged the government to pursue dialogue with the group instead of clamping down on it.

“It is submitted, without any fear of contradiction, that neither the army nor the governors are empowered to proscribe or label the IPOB a terrorist organisation. In banning the IPOB the chief of army staff and the governors did not avert their minds to section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2011 as amended which provides that a terrorist organisation can only be proscribed in the country on the order of the federal high court based on an application made by either the national security adviser, attorney-general of the federation or inspector-general of police with the approval of the president,” he said.

“In calling for dialogue between President Buhari and Mr Kanu former President Obasanjo ought to have apologised publicly for the military invasions of Odi in Bayelsa state and Zaki Biam in Benue state ordered by him. The basis of the call should have been explained since President Obasanjo charged Niger Delta militants, leaders of ethnic militias and separatist movements with treason which led to their prolonged detention in prison custody.

“Convinced that President Obasanjo has realised that the criminalisation of such agitation did not achieve its objective his suggestion for a dialogue should be seriously considered by the federal government and the south-east governors.

“It is also interesting that President Goodluck Jonathan is calling for a meeting of the council of state to resolve the crisis. For goodness sake why was such a meeting not called before soldiers were deployed in the Niger Delta to deal with militants. Or did President Jonathan call any meeting before deploying soldiers all over the country for the 2015 general elections in defiance of the judgments of the federal high court and the court of appeal?

“Instead of suggesting irrelevant meetings the root causes of the increasing loss of faith in the corporate existence of Nigeria by unemployed youths and other poverty stricken people should be urgently addressed by the ruling class.”