Kenechukwu Ofomah
Awka
Rights group, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC on Saturday said it in total support of every legitimate effort to rescue Lieutenant PP Johnson, a female officer who was abducted on Monday 26th December 2022, by gunmen in Enugu.
The lieutenant was abducted in Enugu, while visiting her grandmother in Aku-Okigwe in Imo state, shortly after completion of her Cadet training and subsequent commissioning as a Lieutenant into the Nigerian Army.
Following the attack, a military operation was carried out in Okigwe, which saw markets, residential buildings and property of the residents being burnt to ashes.
Communities in Okigwe, mainly Ihube, have been the most affected in the latest round of destruction.
The reason for the latest military onslaught on the community is still unclear but some reports suggest it is connected to the lieutenant abducted in the community.
Other sources yet, are of the opinion it is due to some recent brutal attacks on military units in the area, by secessionist militiamen.
Speaking on the development, the Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma described the abduction of the female military officer by a group that claims to be ‘fighting for Biafra’ as a condemnable criminal action that does not conform with, or advance the cause of freedom and justice which Biafra agitation represents.
He said; “It (the abduction) reminds us of the atrocious act of torture, dehumanization and murder of a military couple who were similarly abducted earlier this year somewhere around the Orlu axis of Imo State by a criminal group also masquerading as freedom agitators.
“We support every lawful action necessary to rescue the kidnapped military officer and bring her kidnappers to justice.”
The RULAAC however, condemned the reported misplaced aggression and reprisal allegedly by military and EbubeAgu operatives indiscriminately unleashed on residents of a whole community in the guise of carrying out rescue operation.
According to him, this makes the perpetrators of the aggression, no different from the criminals they are searching for.
“How can community members be indiscriminately attacked and killed, and their house set on fire, in the name of rescue operation?
“This is a repeat of the Odi massacre which did not lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the crime for which the rescue operation and reprisal action were ordered,” he said.
The human rights activist called for professional restraint and compliance with the rules of engagement while dealing with a civilian population in crime fighting and law enforcement.
“This is to avoid needless casualties and victimization of innocent citizens.
“Security agents responsible for murder and arson should be treated like the criminals who abduct security agents,” Nwanguma insisted.
