Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State
Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of may risk being dragged to court, should he fail establish a judicial panel on the August 23 massacre of 22 unarmed Enugu youths. The threat is coming from Nzuko Umunna, an Igbo sociocultural think-tank group.
In a notice to Governor Ugwuanyi, made available to the media, solicitors to Nzuko Umunna and registered Trustees of Christian Network and Community Development, Edwin Anikwem, noted that victims of the massacre were having physical exercise when persons suspected to be State Security officials opened fire on the unarmed youths.
The solicitors said that the unprovoked attack and murder of innocent and unarmed youths had caused unrest within Enugu and its environs as the citizens were living in fear of who might be the next victim.
The group, therefore, told Governor Ugwuanyi that as the Chief Security Officer of Enugu State, he was responsible for the protection of lives and properties of citizens of Enugu state.
Demanded the group: “In view of the above, we urge Your Excellency to set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry as provided under the Enugu State Commission of Inquiry Law, Laws of Enugu State 2004 to ascertain the immediate and remote cause(s) of, the persons involved in the aforementioned killings at Emene, Enugu State.
“The proposed reliefs to be sought by Nzuko Umunna, if Ugwuanyi fails to set up the panel of inquiry shall include a declaration that the massacre of 22 unarmed youths violated Section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 LFN 2004 which guaranteed right to life and prohibits the killing of human beings without an order of court”.
The legal team also indicated that the massacre violated the fundamental rights to life of the deceased and that Ugwuanyi’s failure to set up the panel amounted to a dereliction of duty; among demands for order of mandamus.
