Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun
BBC NEWS: Nigerian ‘youths
executed’ in Boko Haram
stronghold
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-
africa-20178356
The BBC’s Will Ross: An imam
said he “heard gunshots and four
of his children were shot right
there”
Dozens of young men have been
shot dead in Nigeria by the military
in Maiduguri, residents in the
north-eastern city have told the
BBC. An imam told the BBC about
11 youths from his street alone
were killed, including four of his
own sons. The alleged
extrajudicial executions happened
as Amnesty International accused
the security forces of abuses in its
crackdown on Islamist militants. A
military spokesman in Maiduguri
said he was not aware of the
incident. But Lt Col Sagir Musa
told the BBC investigations would
be made. Maiduguri is the
stronghold of the Islamist militant
group Boko Haram, which is
fighting to impose Islamic law
across Nigeria. Hundreds of
people in northern and central
Nigeria have been killed in attacks
blamed on the group over the last
two years.
On Friday, retired General
Mohammed Shuwa – key to
crushing Biafran separatists during
the brutal three-civil war in the
1960s – was shot by gunmen in his
home in Maiduguri. No-one has
claimed responsibility for his
killing, but Boko Haram is known
for targeted assassinations of
those they suspect oppose their
views and work with the
authorities. Amnesty International
said in a report on Thursday that
the security forces have carried
out widespread abuses in their
campaign against the militants,
killing, torturing and burning the
houses of innocent civilians.
Allegations denied by the military.
‘Bodies in mortuary’
Malam Aji Mustapha, an imam in
Maiduguri, said after morning
prayers on Thursday soldiers took
him and his children to an open
field where many people had
already been taken. In my street
alone, about 11 youths were shot
dead and no-one has given us an
explanation about what they did”
Malam Aji Mustapha Imam in
Maiduguri. He told the BBC’s
Newsday programme that they
were told to lie on the ground.
People were called forward for a
screening process – the young
men were checked against photos
on a computer database and
some of them were separated. He
said that they were ordered to look
away and then he heard gunshots.
“They killed four of my children in
front of me. They took their bodies
to the mortuary of the general
hospital,” he said. When he went
to collect the bodies later, he saw
the bodies of 48 youths, the imam
said. “In my street alone, about 11
youths were shot dead and no-one
has given us an explanation about
what they did.”
The BBC Hausa Service has
spoken to other residents in the
city who had similar stories about
house-to-house searches across
the city – and those rounded up
taken to the field for screening.
One man told the BBC he saw a
dozen corpses at the general
hospital. He identified one of them
as a friend with whom he played
football. In response to the
Amnesty International
accusations, Nigeria’s Finance
Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told
the BBC’s Focus on Africa
programme that the government
would never condone human
rights abuses, but it should be
remembered that the army was
trying to curb “terrorist” acts.
“I think you need to look at the
circumstances. When the UK was
battling terrorism… the US, they
had Guantanamo Bay…. All
countries, when the security of
their citizens is at stake, they try to
use all the tools at their disposal,”
she said. Ms Okonjo-Iweala added
that she objected to suggestions
that the security forces acted in a
“heavy-handed” way. “Everyday
our security forces are putting their
lives on the line to fight this issue
[of violence by Boko Haram].”
COMMENT:
Lt Col Sagir Musa: A military
spokesman in Maiduguri, said he
was not aware of the incident.
Ms Okonjo-Iweala: remembered
that the army was trying to curb
“terrorist” acts.
This confirms that there is a ‘fifth
column’ security agents liquidating
people, youth and important
personalities, in an avenge
manner. It also confirms the ‘war
on terror’ is used by the
government to justify this
genocide.
VICTIMS:
1- retired General Mohammed
Shuwa – key to crushing Biafran
separatists during the brutal three-
civil war in the 1960s – was shot by
gunmen in his home in Maiduguri.
2- Malam Aji Mustapha, an imam
in Maiduguri told the BBC about
11 youths from his street alone
were killed, including four of his
own sons. “They killed four of my
children in front of me. They took
their bodies to the mortuary of the
general hospital,” he said. When
he went to collect the bodies later,
he saw the bodies of 48 youths,
the imam said. “In my street alone,
about 11 youths were shot dead
and no-one has given us an
explanation about what they did.
The imam cannot lie. I smell
Biafra. Let us remember who the
chief of army is. As a Lt col., Sagir
(which means small in Arabic) is
too small to know what is
happening. Even if he knows, he
cannot do anything.
That is why I said, it is only when
we unite get interconnected and
each individual contribute to
protect our interest, the plan is to
finish Islam and Muslims as a
whole in the name of fighting
‘terror’. Nobody is safe; they will
want to kill us one by one.
Who killed Ahmadu Bello? What
did he do?
Who killed Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa? What offence did he
committed
Who killed Gen. Muratala? What
sin did he commit?
They are the same people using
our security to kill our youth and
subjugate our land. This is the
bitter truth.
Brothers and sisters remember!
We cannot tackle this issue with
violence! They have now the
monopoly of the instruments of
violence. And it is only through
violence they can continue to rule.
Therefore let us be vigilant. First
document what is happening in
your environment, anything, know
every strange thing in your district
or line and please post any
observation from anywhere, here
or any other forum. Let us all know
what is happening, do not depend
on the media.
In-sha Allah it will fail and it will
come to pass. However the
criminals will meet their demise
and ruin from this world it is a
divine promise.
Pray fervently to Allah.
May Allah protect us all and
safeguard our religion and our
land.