Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has charged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Akali Baba, to make public, the findings of the Police panel that investigated the what it called barbaric invasion of a church in Imo State by hooded Policemen.
It also demanded that the Police, Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services (DSS) should unveil the identities of the personnel indicted in the attack on the place of worship in order to arrest Chief Uche Nwosu.
The group vowed to resist attempts to sweep the matter under the carpet as it has become the norm since the inception of the current administration.
Recall that armed policemen attached to the Imo State Government House, had invaded the St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Eziama-Obaire in Nkwerre Council Area of the State and whisked away a former governorship candidate in the State, Uche Nwosu, after dispersing the worshipers with sporadic gunshots.
The CSO tasked the Police authorities to be swift in unveiling the identities of the operatives that carried out the desecration of the Church just as it did in the case of the invasion of the home of Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court in Abuja.
It noted that, “the offences of the invaders of the Anglican Church in Imo State is weightier because unlike in the Mary Odili’s home invasion by those rogue elements led by an alleged CSP who was later denied by the police, the police operatives that invaded the Church in Imo State shot several rounds of live ammunition into the crowd of worshippers”.
HURIWA revealed that the IGP has concluded the investigation of the Church invasion and has submitted the report to President Muhammadu Buhari and therefore demanded that it should be made public and the culprits brought to book to serve as deterrence to others.
Briefing journalists in Abuja, HURIWA mational coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, stated, “we have come to you today to send just one message to the relevant authorities in the Nigeria Army, the DSS and importantly, the Nigeria Police Force that owned up to the infamous, brutality, primitive and unwarranted armed invasion of the place of worship during the Christmas period in the Southeast of Nigeria in hot pursuit of a perceived political enemy of the governor of Imo State and the son-in-law of the former governor of Imo State and the current Senator for Imo West Senatorial District Chief Rochas Okorocha, Mr. Uche Nwosu who was at the Church for the solemn ceremony of thanksgiving worship following the final rites that his family gave to their departed matriarch.
“Our demand is simple; produce these armed operatives some of whom brazenly invaded the altar shooting sporadically and dispersing the frightened worshippers some of whom apart from the psychological and emotional traumatic experiences could have been shot if some of the bullets had landed on them as they were made to stampede out of the Church in fear that the hooded invaders who wore no identifiable uniform or name tags were Unknown Gunmen that have been ravaging the Southeast of Nigeria.”
He continued, “we all saw how this unprovoked invasion of the Church in Imo got international opprobrium and we saw the waves of condemnation from Nigeria including but not limited to even the Imo State government who blamed the police for invading the Church. We all saw also the repercussions of the brazen violent attacks and invasion of the Abuja home of the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s second in Command Justice Mary Odili and the consequential arrests of some of these invaders and recently the police charged them in court.
“The offences of the invaders of the Anglican Church in Imo State is wealthier because unlike in the Mary Odili’s home invasion by those rogue elements led by an alleged CSP who was later denied by the police, the police operatives that invaded the Church in Imo State shot several rounds of live ammunition into the crowds of worshippers.
“Also we learnt that the IGP investigated the invasion and the report has been sent to President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigerians are asking for the public full disclosure of this report from the IGP and we wonder if the DG of DSS and the Army Chief also took their time to investigate the extent of involvement of their officers who were reportedly in that scene of unprovoked violent invasion by the security forces who wore no uniforms.
“The Army and the DSS must disclose the identities of the invaders and charge them to court to serve as a deterrent because their action could have precipitated a civil strife if not that those worshippers tool the entire scenario in their strides.
“This issue is a serious human rights matter that must never be swept under the carpets and our action is not motivated by politics but by the patriotic zeal to ensure that impunity and lawlessness are not made the hallmarks of government of Nigeria.
“This press briefing which is our first in 2022 is to further serve notice to the relevant authorities to act swiftly because this criminality and state sponsored terrorism happened close to month ago .
“Nigerians make a lot of noise to condemn government’s lawlessness and few hours after, the whole thing dies now and it is business as usual. We are going to stay on this issue until Nigeria acts to stop their armed security personnel from unleashing aggressive attacks on the citizens. We had earlier in the Month petitioned the Police Service Commission but for two weeks now the Police Service Commission has yet to write us to inform us on the steps they are adopting to investigate the what happened in the Anglican Church and why Police Operatives shot bullets inside a Church like terrorists and Unknown Gunmen which we intend to pursue to its logical conclusion because of posterity.”
