By Toye Olori
LAGOS, Jun 19 1999 (IPS)

Nigeria’s new President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has formed a panel to probe human rights abuses committed during 15 years of military rule.

Obasanjo, who was sworn-in May 29, as Nigeria’s first elected president in 15 years, said the panel, which was formed on Monday, will strive to heal the wounds of the past and reconcile a divided nation.

“The exercise will also enable the government to stretch its hands of fellowship to all Nigerians and to put the experiences of the ugly past behind us,” Obasanjo said.

Obasanjo, who is himself a former military leader between 1976-1979, said his government “want to reconcile those who feel alienated by past injustices, heal the wounds inflicted on our people and restore harmony in our country”.

The seven-man panel, chaired by a retired Supreme Court Judge, Chukwudifu Oputa, will investigate abuses committed between 1994 and 1999 when thousands of perceived military opponents were either harassed, detained, jailed, or executed.

Obasanjo, who was himself handed a 15-year-jail sentence for “conspiring” to overthrow the military regime of the late dictator Sani Abacha, said the exercise would help Nigeria “to move forward from an unprecedented wickedness and oppressive era in our history”.

The panel “will establish all known or suspected cases of mysterious deaths and assassinations or attempted assassinations committed in Nigeria between 1994 and 1999”.

It will also “identify the person or persons, authorities, institutions or organisations which may be held accountable for such mysterious deaths, assassinations or rights abuses”.

The panel will recommend measures to redress past injustices and to prevent or forestall future violations of rights abuses.

A 1998 report by the Lagos-based Constitutional Rights Project (CRP) said the Abacha regime carried out widespread repression of rights advocates, pro-democracy activists, journalists and critics of government.

“Extra-judicial killings, torture, assassinations, imprisonment and general harassment of critics and opponents were commonplace,” said the report.

The abuses include the murder on June 4, 1996 of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the late Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 annulled Presidential election, who himself died in prison on July 7, 1998.

Also shot and killed was a prominent pro-democracy campaigner, Alfred Rewane, 79, who was the main financier of pro-democracy activities against the Abacha regime.

In 1995, Abacha defied appeal by world leaders and executed nine Ogoni activists, including the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa. Saro- Wiwa had been in the forefront in the campaign against multi- national companies, which have been accused of environmental degradation in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

The same year, in 1995, Obasanjo, and a former deputy head of state Shehu Yar’Adua, several journalists, and rights activists were picked up by the secret police for allegedly trying to overthrow Abacha.

Abacha’s deputy, Lt.General Oladipo Diya and a number of other senior military officials were also sentenced to death for an alleged coup plot against Abacha. They were awaiting execution when the dictator suddenly died of a heart attack, on June 8, 1998.

The panel will also investigate the murder of more than 100 people shot by soldiers during demonstrations in Lagos in 1994 over the arrest and detention of Abiola.

“Various other forms of human rights abuses occurred under the regime of General Sani Abacha, particularly, extra-judicial killings, torture and restrictions on personal liberty, free association, movement and press freedom,” CRP said in the report.

While politicians have welcomed the setting up of the panel, pro-democracy activists have adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

Former Police Affairs Minister, Emmanuel Osammor, described the panel as a confirmation of Obasanjo’s election pledge.

“Human rights are on a high pedestal globally and for long Nigeria has been left behind. The panel is a right step in a right direction,” he said.

Yisa Braimoh, a politician, agreed. “I hope the government will not delay in releasing the white paper on the report, expected to be submitted, within a short period of time,” he said.

Rights activists, Beko Ransome-Kuti, who also spent time in prison between 1994 and 1999, said: “It is high time Nigerians understand that we don’t have to beg government to do its job. It is for government to do its job”.

Excerpt:

By Toye Olori
LAGOS, Jun 15 1999 (IPS)

Nigeria’s new President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has formed a panel to probe human rights abuses committed during 15 years of military rule.

Obasanjo, who was sworn-in May 29, as Nigeria’s first elected president in 15 years, said the panel, which was formed on Monday, will strive to heal the wounds of the past and reconcile a divided nation.

“The exercise will also enable the government to stretch its hands of fellowship to all Nigerians and to put the experiences of the ugly past behind us,” Obasanjo said.

Obasanjo, who is himself a former military leader between 1976-1979, said his government “want to reconcile those who feel alienated by past injustices, heal the wounds inflicted on our people and restore harmony in our country”.

The seven-man panel, chaired by a retired Supreme Court Judge, Chukwudifu Oputa, will investigate abuses committed between 1994 and 1999 when thousands of perceived military opponents were either harassed, detained, jailed, or executed.

Obasanjo, who was himself handed a 15-year-jail sentence for “conspiring” to overthrow the military regime of the late dictator Sani Abacha, said the exercise would help Nigeria “to move forward from an unprecedented wickedness and oppressive era in our history”.

The panel “will establish all known or suspected cases of mysterious deaths and assassinations or attempted assassinations committed in Nigeria between 1994 and 1999”.

It will also “identify the person or persons, authorities, institutions or organisations which may be held accountable for such mysterious deaths, assassinations or rights abuses”.

The panel will recommend measures to redress past injustices and to prevent or forestall future violations of rights abuses.

A 1998 report by the Lagos-based Constitutional Rights Project (CRP) said the Abacha regime carried out widespread repression of rights advocates, pro-democracy activists, journalists and critics of government.

“Extra-judicial killings, torture, assassinations, imprisonment and general harassment of critics and opponents were commonplace,” said the report.

The abuses include the murder on June 4, 1996 of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the late Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 annulled Presidential election, who himself died in prison on July 7, 1998.

Also shot and killed was a prominent pro-democracy campaigner, Alfred Rewane, 79, who was the main financier of pro- democracy activities against the Abacha regime.

In 1995, Abacha defied appeal by world leaders and executed nine Ogoni activists, including the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa. Saro- Wiwa had been in the forefront in the campaign against multi- national companies, which have been accused of environmental degradation in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

The same year, in 1995, Obasanjo, and a former deputy head of state Shehu Yar’Adua, several journalists, and rights activists were picked up by the secret police for allegedly trying to overthrow Abacha.

Abacha’s deputy, Lt.General Oladipo Diya and a number of other senior military officials were also sentenced to death for an alleged coup plot against Abacha. They were awaiting execution when the dictator suddenly died of a heart attack, on June 8, 1998.

The panel will also investigate the murder of more than 100 people shot by soldiers during demonstrations in Lagos in 1994 over the arrest and detention of Abiola.

“Various other forms of human rights abuses occurred under the regime of General Sani Abacha, particularly, extra-judicial killings, torture and restrictions on personal liberty, free association, movement and press freedom,” CRP said in the report.

While politicians have welcomed the setting up of the panel, pro-democracy activists have adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

Former Police Affairs Minister, Emmanuel Osammor, described the panel as a confirmation of Obasanjo’s election pledge.

“Human rights are on a high pedestal globally and for long Nigeria has been left behind. The panel is a right step in a right direction,” he said.

Yisa Braimoh, a politician, agreed. “I hope the government will not delay in releasing the white paper on the report, expected to be submitted, within a short period of time,” he said.

Rights activists, Beko Ransome-Kuti, who also spent time in prison between 1994 and 1999, said: “It is high time Nigerians understand that we don’t have to beg government to do its job. It is for government to do its job”.

Excerpt: