Nigerian Army Personnel Accused Of Burning, Looting Property In A Community in Imo State

 Nigerian Army Personnel Accused Of Burning, Looting Property In A Community in Imo State A civil rights organization, the Rule of Law and A...

 Nigerian Army Personnel Accused Of Burning, Looting Property In A Community in Imo State

A civil rights organization, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has charged that personnel of the Nigerian Army engaged in looting and setting fire to properties in Umualumaku, located in the Ehime-Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State.

RULAAC reports that the security forces, believed to be members of the Nigerian Army, removed valuables such as food items, household goods, mobile phones, and personal belongings from the ancestral home and private residence of Mr. Anayo Vigilus Njoku, a law-abiding Nigerian citizen and technician residing in Lagos.

"The mode of operation of the security personnel involved in this incident is a clear breach of human rights and the rule of law," said Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC's Executive Director. 

"We urge the Chief of Defence Staff to take immediate action to investigate this incident and ensure accountability."

In petition to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, dated July 26, which was made available to SaharaReporters' on Wednesday, RULAAC urged him to investigate the incident and ensure accountability. 

The organisation has also demanded that the Defence Headquarters clearly communicates operational protocols to all deployed units, reaffirming that arson, looting, and reprisals are unlawful.

"We emphasise that even in the face of insecurity, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Nigeria's international obligations prohibit extrajudicial punishments, collective retribution, and the destruction of civilian property," Nwanguma said.

Giving details of conduct atrocities, the petition stated, "We have received a detailed and anguished petition from Mr. Anayo Vigilus Njoku, a law-abiding Nigerian citizen and technician based in Lagos, whose ancestral home and personal residence were looted and burned in the said incident. According to Mr. Njoku, both homes - his late father's and his newly completed retirement house - were completely destroyed. 

"Valuables including food items, household goods, mobile phones, and personal belongings were carted away. His relatives who attempted to extinguish the fire were allegedly threatened at gunpoint by soldiers on the scene.

"While we recognise the complex and deteriorating security situation in Umualumaku and surrounding areas, we must underline that state-sanctioned reprisals, collective punishment, and property destruction cannot substitute for lawful and intelligence-driven law enforcement.

"RULAAC is aware that Umualumaku and other parts of Imo State have been under siege from criminal elements, including violent gangs and suspected separatist militants from within and neighbouring communities. 

"Reports of robberies, kidnappings, disappearances, and attacks on security personnel have sown fear among residents. These have, in turn, triggered military and police reprisals, often carried out without proper investigations and leading to human rights violations against innocent civilians.

"Residents are understandably afraid to provide information or testify publicly, making independent verification of such incidents difficult - and increasing the risk of unlawful profiling, extrajudicial action, and destruction of civilian livelihoods."

It added, "Regardless of the challenges, it is the constitutional and moral responsibility of security forces to act with restraint, professionalism, and strict adherence to human rights and the rule of law.

"We emphasise that even in the face of insecurity, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sections 34, 37, 43, and 44) and Nigeria’s international obligations prohibit extrajudicial punishments, collective retribution, and the destruction of civilian property."

The incident has sparked outrage, with many calling for the Nigerian Army to respect human rights and the rule of law in their operations in the South East. 

RULAAC's demands include immediate investigation, disciplinary action against personnel found to have acted outside their mandate, and compensation to Mr. Njoku and others whose homes or property were destroyed.

"The use of excessive force, reprisals, and indiscriminate targeting of civilians in response to criminal activities by unknown or unaffiliated individuals is a clear breach of human rights," Nwanguma said. 

"Security must not come at the cost of justice, and enforcement must not descend into vengeance."

The Chief of Defence Staff has been urged to lead by example and demonstrate that the Nigerian Armed Forces remain bound by constitutional limits and committed to upholding the rule of law, even in the face of daunting challenges.

The organisation which copied the petition to United Nations office for Human Rights in Nigeria, and other relevant agencies including the office of the National Security Adviser, regretted that it has become a trending partner of the Nigerian security especially the military of willful destruction and looting of innocent people's property when engaging in Security operations in the South-East."