Niger
17.09.02
Urgent Interventions
Nigeria: lack of appropriate investigation into the murder of Mr. Victor Nwankwo
Case NGA 170902
Killing / Impunity
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Nigeria.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Centre for Law Enforcement Education (CLEEN), a member of the OMCT network, of the lack of appropriate investigation into the murder of Mr. Victor Nwankwo, which occurred on August 29th, 2002 in Enugu, Nigeria.
According to the information received, engineer and publisher Mr. Victor Nwankwo was attacked and killed outside of his home by unknown assailants at 9.45 pm on Thursday August 29th, 2002, in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. Police investigations into these attacks have reportedly been inefficient, despite the presence near the scene of the attack of two Police sergeants and one night guard - who reportedly were of no assistance during or after the attack. It is feared that, as a result of a lack of appropriate investigation on the part of the authorities, the perpetrators of these acts will not be brought to justice.
According to the information received, Mr. Victor Nwankwo, who was the Managing Director of Fourth Dimension Publishing Company in Enugu, as well as being a member of several local, regional and international Boards, was scheduled to travel Zimbabwe on August 30th, 2002. After having left his wife at his office at around 7 pm, he passed by his brother, Chief Arthur Nwankwo's house, before returning home. When he was arriving home, his would-be assailants were reportedly waiting for him in front of the gate of his house. When Mr. Victor Nwankwo got near the home, he must have noticed the men, as he attempted to keep driving to the place where he knew the afore-mentioned policemen would be on duty. According to eyewitnesses, who include the two policemen cited above, a motorcyclist, accompanied by an armed passenger, blocked Mr. Victor Nwankwo's car. When he tried to reverse the vehicle, he was blocked by another assailant, who was walking towards the car and opened fire with his weapon, ordering Mr. Victor Nwankwo to stop. The assailants then reportedly shot Mr. Victor Nwankwo and drove away in his car, leaving him bleeding in the road. The policemen, who are reported as saying that they did not intervene at the time of the attack due to the fact that the attackers had more sophisticated weapons than they did, still did not intervene in order to come to his aid once the assailants had left. Furthermore, upon the arrival of Mr. Victor Nwankwo's wife and other members of the family several minutes after the shooting, the policemen did not even help them put him in the car in which he was taken to hospital.
According to the information received, police investigators only arrived at the scene one week after the attack. Initially, they claimed that they had recovered nothing from the car, although later revealed that they had found US$880 and Nigerian Naira 11,000. Finally, and after Mr. Victor Nwankwo's family had complained about police insensitivity to the press, they returned several other items, including his two briefcases, his lap-top computer and even the car stereo, which they had claimed had disappeared.
According to the information received, the authorities have announced that they have arrested one person in relation with this case, who is reported as having given information about an eight-man gang that were involved in Mr. Victor Nwankwo's murder. The authorities are reportedly blaming the killing on clashes between student gangs. This announcement has likely enabled these gang members to hide, reducing the chances of them being caught. Furthermore, the arrested person got the name of the street wrong when describing where Mr. Victor Nwankwo's death had taken place, leading to doubts about whether they have arrested the right person, and our sources suspect that the authorities may be trying to close the case over-expeditiously.
It is worth noting that OMCT recently published a report entitled "Hope Betrayed - A Report on Impunity and State-Sponsored Violence in Nigeria" and that Mr. Victor Nwankwo's wife, Mrs. Obiageli Nwankwo, who is the Executive Director of the Civil Resources Development and Documentation Centre in Enugu, participated in researching and writing the report.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about the apparent deficiencies in the investigations being conducted by the Nigerian authorities into this affair, and fears that Mr. Victor Nwankwo's murderers may not be brought to justice.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Nigeria urging them to:
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
Note: if you have any problems getting through to these persons, please use the contact details of the Nigerian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva (see below):
· His Exellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Republic, The Presidency, Federal Secretariat, Phase II, Shehu Shagari Way,Abuja; Fax: 234 9 523 21 36 (press office), Email: president.obasanjo@nigeriagov.org
· Alhaji Sule Lamido, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maputo Street, Zone 3 Wuse District, Abuja, Nigeria; Fax: 234 9 523 02 08.
· Kanu Godwin Agabi, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, New Federal Secretariat complex, Shehu Shagari Way, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria; Fax: 234 9 523 52 08 / 234 9 5230660.
· H.E. Ambassador Pius Ikpefuan Ayewoh, Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1 Rue Richard Wagner, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland, fax: +41 22 7341053, e-mail: mission.Nigeria@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the embassies of Nigeria in your respective country.
Geneva, September 17th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Killing / Impunity
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Nigeria.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Centre for Law Enforcement Education (CLEEN), a member of the OMCT network, of the lack of appropriate investigation into the murder of Mr. Victor Nwankwo, which occurred on August 29th, 2002 in Enugu, Nigeria.
According to the information received, engineer and publisher Mr. Victor Nwankwo was attacked and killed outside of his home by unknown assailants at 9.45 pm on Thursday August 29th, 2002, in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. Police investigations into these attacks have reportedly been inefficient, despite the presence near the scene of the attack of two Police sergeants and one night guard - who reportedly were of no assistance during or after the attack. It is feared that, as a result of a lack of appropriate investigation on the part of the authorities, the perpetrators of these acts will not be brought to justice.
According to the information received, Mr. Victor Nwankwo, who was the Managing Director of Fourth Dimension Publishing Company in Enugu, as well as being a member of several local, regional and international Boards, was scheduled to travel Zimbabwe on August 30th, 2002. After having left his wife at his office at around 7 pm, he passed by his brother, Chief Arthur Nwankwo's house, before returning home. When he was arriving home, his would-be assailants were reportedly waiting for him in front of the gate of his house. When Mr. Victor Nwankwo got near the home, he must have noticed the men, as he attempted to keep driving to the place where he knew the afore-mentioned policemen would be on duty. According to eyewitnesses, who include the two policemen cited above, a motorcyclist, accompanied by an armed passenger, blocked Mr. Victor Nwankwo's car. When he tried to reverse the vehicle, he was blocked by another assailant, who was walking towards the car and opened fire with his weapon, ordering Mr. Victor Nwankwo to stop. The assailants then reportedly shot Mr. Victor Nwankwo and drove away in his car, leaving him bleeding in the road. The policemen, who are reported as saying that they did not intervene at the time of the attack due to the fact that the attackers had more sophisticated weapons than they did, still did not intervene in order to come to his aid once the assailants had left. Furthermore, upon the arrival of Mr. Victor Nwankwo's wife and other members of the family several minutes after the shooting, the policemen did not even help them put him in the car in which he was taken to hospital.
According to the information received, police investigators only arrived at the scene one week after the attack. Initially, they claimed that they had recovered nothing from the car, although later revealed that they had found US$880 and Nigerian Naira 11,000. Finally, and after Mr. Victor Nwankwo's family had complained about police insensitivity to the press, they returned several other items, including his two briefcases, his lap-top computer and even the car stereo, which they had claimed had disappeared.
According to the information received, the authorities have announced that they have arrested one person in relation with this case, who is reported as having given information about an eight-man gang that were involved in Mr. Victor Nwankwo's murder. The authorities are reportedly blaming the killing on clashes between student gangs. This announcement has likely enabled these gang members to hide, reducing the chances of them being caught. Furthermore, the arrested person got the name of the street wrong when describing where Mr. Victor Nwankwo's death had taken place, leading to doubts about whether they have arrested the right person, and our sources suspect that the authorities may be trying to close the case over-expeditiously.
It is worth noting that OMCT recently published a report entitled "Hope Betrayed - A Report on Impunity and State-Sponsored Violence in Nigeria" and that Mr. Victor Nwankwo's wife, Mrs. Obiageli Nwankwo, who is the Executive Director of the Civil Resources Development and Documentation Centre in Enugu, participated in researching and writing the report.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about the apparent deficiencies in the investigations being conducted by the Nigerian authorities into this affair, and fears that Mr. Victor Nwankwo's murderers may not be brought to justice.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Nigeria urging them to:
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
Note: if you have any problems getting through to these persons, please use the contact details of the Nigerian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva (see below):
· His Exellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Republic, The Presidency, Federal Secretariat, Phase II, Shehu Shagari Way,Abuja; Fax: 234 9 523 21 36 (press office), Email: president.obasanjo@nigeriagov.org
· Alhaji Sule Lamido, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maputo Street, Zone 3 Wuse District, Abuja, Nigeria; Fax: 234 9 523 02 08.
· Kanu Godwin Agabi, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, New Federal Secretariat complex, Shehu Shagari Way, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria; Fax: 234 9 523 52 08 / 234 9 5230660.
· H.E. Ambassador Pius Ikpefuan Ayewoh, Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1 Rue Richard Wagner, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland, fax: +41 22 7341053, e-mail: mission.Nigeria@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the embassies of Nigeria in your respective country.
Geneva, September 17th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.