An organisation, known as Gender Coalition Against Genocide has written the International Criminal Court (ICC) calling for the prosecution of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for the on going military action in the Niger delta.
Also included in the demand for prosecution by the ICC is the erstwhile Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who was also alleged to have committed crime against humanity during his eight years in power.
Below is the letter:
GENDER COALITION AGAINST GENOCIDE (GAG)
International Criminal Court Office of the Prosecutor
The Hague
The Netherlands
Dear Mr. Moremo Ocampo
PROSECUTION OF THE JOINT MILITARY TASK FORCE AND THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT FOR GENOCIDE IN THE NIGER DELTA
The Gender Coalition against Genocide (GAG) hereby draw your attention to and protest the murderous actions of the Joint Task Force of Nigeria against the Niger Delta people of Gbaramatu kingdom in Delta State.
We request that the office of the Prosecutor open an immediate investigation into the murderous action going on now in the Niger Delta. The action of the government through the JTF is a campaign of genocide against hapless women, children and innocent indigenes of the Niger Delta region.
On Wednesday, May 13, 2009 the Nigerian Joint Military task Force began an aerial bombardment of the communities that make up Gbaramatu kingdom of Delta state including Kurutie, Kunukunuma, Kokodiagbene, Oporoza, Okerenkoko, Azama, Benikrukru and Ubefan with the excuse that they are attacking militant camps.
Meanwhile the only militants camps the JTF has reported taking so far are Camp 5 and Iroko Camp, whereas 8 communities have been under land, water and aerial attack with Okerenkoko, kurutie and Oporoza completey burnt down.
Residents of Gbaramatu kingdom and their guests were celebrating the installation of their regent when the bombings started, and they all had to flee into hiding in the swamps and mangrove forests and have been there for 10 days now without food, water, shelter and medical care. The JTF has prevented humanitarian and human rights groups from going into the area.
It is reported that thousands of innocent civilians, especially women, children pregnant women and the aged are dead already. Several others numbering over 30,000 are trapped in the bush, swamps and mangrove forest where they are hiding. The only way they can leave Gbaramatu, the scene of terror is by boat and all the waterways are blockaded by the JTF.
It will interest you to note that the Niger Delta has suffered similar military attacks in the years past such as:
• the killings in Umuechem 1n 1990.
• the massacre of Ogoni people and the rapes of Ogoni women in the 1990s led by Major General Paul Okutinmo.
• the 1999 genocide in Odi and the rapes of Odi women led by Col. Agbabiaka.
• the massacre in Iko community in 1997.
• the razing down of Odioma in 2005.
• the razing down of Agge community in 2008.
The perpetrators of these previous massacres have neither been investigated nor prosecuted. We therefore call for the prosecution of those responsible for this inhuman action against the people in the Niger Delta region including Brigadier General Sariki Bello, Col. Rabe Abubakar, Air Vice Marshal Paul Dike, Major General Paul Okutinmo, Col. Agbabiaka, President Umar Musa Yar Adua, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Speaker Dimeji Bankole, who said the JTF action is a peace keeping operation, Bala Ibn Na’Allah who called for the extermination of 20 million Niger Delta to enable 120 million Nigerians to steal the natural resources in the Niger Delta.
The leadership of Nigeria and the military must know that they cannot act with impunity. We sincerely request your attention and interest in this case as lives and existence of peoples of the oil producing communities of the Niger Delta of Nigeria are presently being threatened. The immediate commencements of investigation will save the Niger Delta people from extinction.
Signatories to the letter include: Annkio Briggs - Agape Birthrights, Emem J. Okon - Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre, Hilda Dokubo - Centre for Creative Education (CCAE), Ifie Lott - Women Light Foundation, Ibiba Don Pedro - Centre for Development Communication, Lilian George - Niger Delta for Justice, Evangelist Charity - Mothers for Peace, Unity Ototo - Man & Water Survival Foundation.
Others are: IJeoma Wokocha - Kebetkache - Delta, Constance Meju - Amazonna Women Leadership Initiative ,National Network for Women in Niger Delta, Security and Peace Building, Niger Delta Women for Development Energy & Security.