(Lagos, June 21, 2002) - Ebonyi State in south-eastern Nigeria should not endorse the activities of vigilante groups, Human Rights Watch and the Centre for Law Enforcement Education (CLEEN) said today
The human rights groups were responding to recent reports that the governor of Ebonyi, Sam Egwu, was planning to introduce the vigilante group, known as the Bakassi Boys, into his state and to sign a law establishing them there. The Bakassi Boys have been responsible for numerous human rights abuses in the neighboring states of southeastern Nigeria where they operate, including extrajudicial killings, public burnings, mutilations, torture, and unlawful detentions.
“The Bakassi Boys’ violent record and their complete disregard of the law are well-known,” said Carina Tertsakian, researcher at Human Rights Watch. “If they have killed and tortured with impunity in Anambra, Abia, and Imo states, why would they behave any differently in Ebonyi State – especially when they are being welcomed there by the governor himself?”
These abuses, as well as the deployment of the Bakassi Boys to target perceived political opponents of state governments, were documented in a detailed report published by Human Rights Watch (headquartered in New York) and CLEEN (headquartered in Lagos) on May 20, 2002, titled “The Bakassi Boys: The Legitimization of Murder and Torture.”
Further killings by the Bakassi Boys have been reported in recent weeks, particularly in Anambra State: more than twenty people, including several women, were reportedly killed by the Bakassi Boys in Onitsha in the last week of May, and further killings were reported in Onitsha as recently as mid-June.
The two human rights organizations said that state governors have a responsibility to prevent, not encourage, the spread of vigilante violence. They appealed to Governor Sam Egwu to reconsider his decision and to resist public pressure to introduce the Bakassi Boys into Ebonyi.
“We recognize high levels of violent crime pose a serious problem in many parts of Nigeria,” said Innocent Chukwuma, Executive Director of CLEEN. “But the solution is not to continue resorting to extrajudicial means or to support vigilante violence.”
The two human rights groups also described as regrettable recent statements by Orji Uzor Kalu, the governor of Abia State – the state where the Bakassi Boys were first formed, and where they are still active. Speaking to journalists in early June 2002, Governor Kalu announced that he would defy any attempts to prevent the Bakassi Boys from operating in his state. The Vanguard newspaper of June 1 quoted him as saying: “No law can stop us from having the vigilante group in Abia. Even if the National Assembly passes the law, it is not going to work in Abia. I have the mandate of the people to govern this state and anybody posted here who does not cooperate with the people will be asked to get out.” Referring to a recent incident in which the Bakassi Boys had clashed with the police, he said: “We are not ready to tolerate any commissioner of police arresting any member of Bakassi as a robber.” On June 11, The Daily Champion newspaper quoted him as saying: “Any plan by the Federal Government to ban Bakassi under whatever guise would amount to undue interference.”
“Such statements amount to an explicit approval of the violent and arbitrary methods used by the Bakassi Boys under the pretext of ‘fighting crime,’” said Tertsakian. “If state governors want to show commitment to ensuring the security of the population, they should condemn these human rights abuses, disband the Bakassi Boys, and support the introduction of law enforcement mechanisms, which will genuinely protect people and bring criminals to justice, within the framework of the law.”
The two organizations also reiterated their appeal to the federal government to produce effective and long-lasting solutions to the dual problems of widespread crime and increasing vigilante violence. The HRW/CLEEN report published in May included a set of recommendations for national police reform that would ensure effective enforcement of law and order and protection and security for the population.
