By E O Eke
The lifeless and desecrated bodies of another batch of Igbo youth
murdered by Nigerian soldiers on February 9, 2016 at National High School Aba,
is another gruesome reminder of the brutality and high handedness with which
the Buhari administration is addressing the non-violent protests by youths
agitating for independent state of Biafra. When you view the recent massacre
against the background that the victims were unarmed, were not violent and the
crime was perpetrated by soldiers and police men from Northern Nigeria , the significance and intention of the government becomes
ominous. The use of disproportionate force and introduction of sectarian
dimension raises serious concerns about the future of Nigeria
As
the death toll of this unjustifiable pogrom rise, the silence of Igbo leaders
is deafening. Why have Igbo leaders in position to reach out both to the
government and protesters kept quiet? Is Nigeria
I
am asking, how much more evil, bloodshed brutality and injustice do Nigerians
want to see, before we act to stop this crime against humanity going in
Igboland. The actions of the army is unconscionable. It is even more curious
that the government withdrew soldiers fighting terrorists to murder non-violent
protesters. The pictures of the atrocities are as nauseating as they are
condemnable. They show the depravity of the minds behind them. It is difficult
to imagine that the men responsible for these crimes have human conscience and
what it takes to bear arms on behalf of a state.
There
are neither reasons no justification for this massacre. It is even more
disturbing that this is coming after we heard that President Muhammadu Buhari withdrew
soldiers fighting Boko Haram and told them to go and deal with non-violent
protesters in Igboland. It is happening as the president releases Boko Haram
terrorists and Fulani herdsmen terrorising the country unchallenged.
