BY Femi Owolabi
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the government to ensure the prosecution of operatives of the Enugu state command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who allegedly shot at a commercial bus, leading to the death of seven persons.
In a statement released on Friday, Emmanuel Onwubiko, national coordinator of HURIWA, said the primitive act of robbery by the armed para-military operatives which led to the killings of innocent passengers is one extra-legal killing too many to be overlooked.
“Seven persons were burnt to death beyond recognition when a commercial bus was allegedly shot at by operatives of NSCDC, and it went up in flames,” the statement read.
“It is the most recorded case of deliberate mass killings by armed security forces which must not be swept under the carpets by the Enugu state government. The allegation that these killings occurred because these supposed armed para-military agents demanded unsuccessfully for N50 bribe from the bus driver at the Milking Hill Ngwo Old Road, Enugu, has brought a lot of disgrace to the entire institution of NSCDC and is such a dastardly criminal act of depravity which must be taken up by the Enugu state government.”
The group said it has always opposed the decision to arm the operatives of the NSCDC.
“We term this as robbery because no segment of the armed security forces should chase after commercial passenger buses and endanger the lives of dozens of civilians on the nebulous ground that the said commercial bus operator contravened the so-called no parking edict of the Enugu state government,” the statement read.
“In the first place, it is not in the place of a federally funded para-military agency to become the armed thugs of the state ministry of transportation to such a ridiculous extent that these operatives now inflict pains; sorrows and bloodshed on innocent citizens.”
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