The Enugu State High Court has ordered Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State to institute a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the gruesome murder of 22 unarmed youths by the Nigerian security agencies in Emene, Enugu.
The Punch had reported that no fewer than 22 youths were extra judicially killed by combined security operatives, made up of Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Police, Department of Security Services and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps on August 23, 2020 at Emene in Enugu East Council Area of the state.
Trouble had started when operatives of the DSS attacked youths suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, who were playing football and other forms of game at the Community High School, Emene, and started shooting them.
The youths in their numbers overpowered two DSS operatives after they had allegedly shot two of them and killed them also.
The then state Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdurrahman, deployed joint security agents, who allegedly shot and killed 22 youths, including women, who were returning from church service that morning and labelled them IPOB members.
Since the incident, the state government has not condemned the killing or probed the incident despite the governor’s visit to the scene shortly after the incident.
However, the state government instead denied that nobody was killed except two DSS operatives.
Angered by the State Government denial, the Registered Trustees of Christian Network and Community Development & Anor, dragged the governor to court praying that it should mandate the governor and his government to investigate the killing and ensure that those involved were brought to justice.
Ruling in the case in Suit No. E/569M/2020 between Registered Trustees of Christian Network and Community Development & Anor V Governor of Enugu State & Anor, on Wednesday, the presiding Judge, Justice C.C. Ani, ordered the governor to institute a panel of inquiry into the killing.
Source: The Punch
