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was inconclusive and that the DSS has been compromised. “We are calling for an independent probe panel to unravel the truth behind this matter. We understand that these people were homeless and their landlord gave them one week quick notice before the attack was carried against them. Provision of accommodation is one of the duties of government. They were there because they could not afford to live in the high brow areas. This is fight for freedom and liberty.”
AFTER THE HOLIDAYS—Students return to school, yesterday, in La- Abdullahi gos after the long term holidays. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi.
Traders vow to sue, as death toll rises to 10 Continues from Page 4
extra judicial killing of innocent Nigerians. He said that fighting terror should not be an excuse to violate the fundamental human rights. While calling for a thorough investigation into the matter, Sani said, “ what has happened is nothing but extra judicial killing. It is one of the arbitrariness and brigandage by the security agencies in this country for the past three years. Fighting insurgency has become an excuse for killing of innocent people in this country. “What has happened in Abuja is what is happening throughout the country. By this act, we hope to sensitize the people and bring the attention of government to mobilize the consciousness of Nigerians to see that this will be the last in the history of our country. “By what has happened, we hope to create awareness and also ensure that government will bring to book all those who have made extrajudicial killings a way of life. “What we have rejected is the positions and narratives given by the security agencies about the dastardly act perpetrated by them. “We are here to demonstrate that we are fully with the families and will do everything possible to go even beyond this and put pressure on government to ensure that the security agencies responsible for this act are put to account for their action. The families are disposed to take legal action and we are prepared to give them all the necessary support. “I think that what the security agents are doing
is shifting blames because Nigerian have refused to buy the lies they are pushing to them and the scripted fiction that was meant to deceive the people. Those deceits were meant to deceive Nigerians. “Whether it was the military or the State Security agencies, the mere fact that innocent people were killed by the security agents is a sad commentary and government must go deep down into investigating the issue and make sure that such thing did not happen again. “Fighting terror is not an excuse to violate the fundamental human rights and killing innocent persons in the name of such things cannot be condoled. By this, we hope that Nigerians will come to know the truth behind war against terror.”
National President, Nigerian Consultative Youth Assembly, Comrade Mustapha Nurudeen demands sack of DSS boss. The National President, Nigerian Consultative Youth Assembly, Comrade Mustapha Nurudeen said the youth body received the news with shock and had vowed to follow the case to the logical conclusion. Nuredeen, who described the victims as registered members of Keke NAPEP Association, faulted the security men for not carrying out thorough investigation before attacking the occupants of the building. He however, said that the youth had already
planned a protest to the National Assembly on Wednesday to enable them register their grievances. “We got this as a shock because our members were involved. We have been able to meet those people that survived and they narrated their side of the story to us. As far as we are concerned, we will pursue the case to the end. Our position is that those people behind these extra judicial killings must be brought to book. “This is what an average Nigerian passes through every day. It is a national embarrassment. We believe that we all have a stake in protecting the lives of every Nigerian. “Boko Haram or no Boko Haram, we believe that the security has a duty to protect every body’s life. These people are members of Keke NAPEP Association, they have their ID cards. “With what we have gathered, we are going to court to fight this injustice. Though, we are still investigating, we must go to court. Besides, we are going on the streets come Wednesday. We are mobilizing the Nigerian youths to the National Assembly. “We believe that this should be the end of this madness in this country; enough is enough. We must not allow some people to come and infringe on our fundamental human rights. “One of our demands is that the Deputy Director of DSS, Mrs. Marylin Oga must be sacked immediately because she concluded that these people were Boko Haram without doing thorough investigation. We know that their investigation
Ballahlao appeals for probe
He expressed sadness at the incidence and called for thorough investigation of the matter and urged those in authority to fear God and ensure justice, peace and equality among the citizenry. “We are not happy with what we have seen and we are making an appeal to those in authorities to investigate this issue thoroughly, so that the people will know what happened. “What we want is justice and equality. Once there is peace and tranquillity everything will fall in place. Those in authority should fear Allah, because this kind of killing is not a welcome development. Without peace, tranquillity and harmony we cannot practice our religions.” “For us, we are praying for the sustainability of this country because the country needs peace. That is why those in authority must take serious action to see that those who engaged in this kind of killing are brought to book.’
Hon. Bilaminu Shinkafi “It is saddening and we are working tirelessly with human right organizations, activists, and other Nigerians who have particular interest in the whole issue. “The Senate is going to sit tomorrow and my colleagues in the Senate are working on that to bring the matter before the Senate. We will process the matter and formally present it before the House of Representatives. As you can see we have the relatives of the victims here and a human right activist, Alhaji Shehu Sani, and we are all working together not to allow this matter die like that.
We are here in Abuja to represent our people and to ensure that their interest is protected, and to make sure that their wellbeing is taken care of. We will not allow the matter to go the way the ‘Apo six’ was treated because my colleagues and I are here as partners in sincerity and honesty to pursue this matter until justice prevails. The security personnel committed a lot of blunders in the process of doing their work and they have to account for it. There is a tradition we know clearly that once it is discovered that terrorists are using a building for their activities, after they have been arrested the building is demolished or government takes over the property. We are waiting to see the next line of action by the security agents. Nigerians and human rights organizations are also watching what they will do.
How we were attacked —Yusuf Abubakar (victim) Narrating how the incident happened one of the victims, Yusuf Abubakar said “ I remember that a scavenger came into the uncompleted building with his sack over his shoulders and was vandalizing some electric cables and most of the occupants were not around that time, which was about 8 pm. It was the security guard in the building who caught him and called the owner of the house. The owner of the building ordered the security guard to inform us that all of us who were occupying the house should leave the place under one week or he would call in soldiers to push us out. This order was given on Wednesday last week, and on Friday the owner of the building deployed armed soldiers at about 12 midnight. “After they arrived, they surrounded the building, and started shooting right inside the building, and we were over 200 occupants sleeping inside the building that time. We were in total confusion and were running for our dear lives while soldiers were busy gunning down the occupants running in any direction. The soldiers killed 8 of us, and we just lost one of us in the hospital today (Monday), out of the13 that were brought to Asokoro General Hos-
pital, while one of us was hospitalized at Wuse General Hospital. “Most of us were killed as a result of standing up, like myself, in the process of running out for safety, I fell down, and then I was shot in my left hand. “ I was wearing a white shirt which I removed and hid my myself somewhere, and a soldier with his rifle came very close to my side, I thought he saw me, but did not rather shot and killed somebody who was running towards my direction. “I am still carrying the bullet in my hand; the doctors only come to dress the injury and give me drugs and injection. “One of the House of Representatives members from Zamfara State provides food for us. I am from Zamfara State. I do commercial truck pushing for living at Garki Monday Market. People are just broadcasting that we were Boko Haram members, who we are not, rather we are into Keke NAPEP driving, commercial truck pushing, cobbling, and selling of sachet water and others.
Brother of deceased, Suleiman Adamu I was at Mabushi, where I received a call that my elder, Nasiru Adamu, was shot by some soldiers, who came to where he was living, and he was taken along with others injured in the same building at Apo and brought to Asokoro General Hospital. He had the shot in his stomach, and died this morning (Monday). He was married with a year old daughter. He was a Keke NAPEP driver at the time he was shot and killed by the soldiers. Meantime, following unprecedented uproar over the attack by the DSS, security sources yesterday, disclosed that operatives of the service were carrying out frantic searches in and around the building with a view to locating the catch of arms said to be hidden around the area. Sources said their inability to locate the spot where the arms were said to be buried was as a result of the intense fire power of suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect who allegedly attacked them when they arrived the scene. According to the sources, “we are not completely ruling out that some innocent residents of the area may have been caught but, in the main, we were sure of the information at our disposal".