Ex-agitators Accuse Army Lt. Col Of Brutality, Petition DSS

The Niger Delta Ex-agitators Forum (NDEF) have accused a military officer in the rank of Lt. Col. of “unleashed mayhem on the ex-agitators and their wives in company other army officers” during a peaceful protest at the Presidential Amnesty Office in Abuja. 

This was contained in a petition signed by Osigwe Ahmed Momoh (Esq) and Gideon Idu (Esq) for BBH legal Practitioners, on behalf of the ex-agitators to the Director General of Department of State Security (DSS) to investigate the incident.

The petitioners said that the offensive against them during the peaceful protest was fragrant breach of their fundamental human rights and that of their wives.

BIGPEN Online recalls that ex-agitators had on 20th November 2019 led hundreds of its members including their wives from the Niger Delta region to the premises of the Presidential Amnesty Programme to protest their non empowerment, skill development by the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs/Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo.

According to the petitioners, soldiers led by undisclosed Lieutenant Colonel reportedly repelled them in attempt to stop the peaceful protest.

The Ex-agitators alleged in the petition that in the process, most of them sustained various degree of injury, lamenting that their wives who accompanied them for the peaceful protest were allegedly beaten.

It was alleged in the petition that one of the Ex-agitators’ wives lost her pregnancy as a result of the assault during the peaceful protest. 

One of the protesters who reportedly sustained injury and lost her pregnancy as a result of the fracas with the security agents, said “,My name is Mrs Anthonia Clement. I was kicked repeatedly in my stomach by one of the military officers even though they know I was physically pregnant until I started coughing; and rushed to the Maitama general hospital Abuja were I sadly lost my unborn baby to this absurdity.”

Other women who spoke of the attack, Miss Ebiere keyegha, Mrs. Lawrence Gloria, wondered why the security agencies who are supposed to be protecting lives, would begin to brutalize Nigerians who have embarked on peaceful agitation for what rightly belongs to them.

They demanded that President Muhammadu Buhari through his NSA should ensure that justice is done. 

They urged the National Security Adviser to the President to look into the brutal assault on the ex-agitators and their wives; and bring the perpetrators to book.

The Ex-agitators lamented that it was painful that up till this moment, the Nigerian military and para-military have not fully developed international best practices to jettison the barbaric culture of brutality and abuse, noting that the November 20th 2019 incidence was completely preventable. 

They however vowed that no amount of undue provocation would cause any of them to resume hostilities or perpetuate and act of violence because they believe that the lives of every Nigeria both born and unborn is sacrosanct.

Consequently, they vowed to exhaust every available lawful option within their disposal to seek justice in the matter.