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Africa News afrol News
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Africa News afrol News
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Misanet.com / IPS, 13 December - Tales of military tyranny, betrayals and inhuman treatment of perceived opposition figures have formed the bedrock of evidence presented to the investigating panel on human rights violations between 1984 and 1999 which resumed sitting here this week. The sitting of the panel, in this commercial capital, was billed to have ended on Dec 8, leaving room for two other sittings in the eastern city of Port Harcourt and northern city of Kaduna. However, it was extended by one week to give room for all witnesses to testify. Headed by Chukwudifu Oputa, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, the panel was established by President Olusegun Obasanjo to recommend redress, and even punishment, for those found guilty of perpetrating gross abuses. But critics say the panel, which has no judicial powers, is nothing but a chronicler of the events in the 'theater of absurd'. - The Oputa panel is a waste of time, waste of money, waste of energy, septuagenarian lawyer and politician, Abraham Adesanya, said recently, shortly after one witness admitted to carrying out attempts to kill him. Adesanya, leader of the national democratic coalition (nadeco) which vehemently opposed the despotic rule of late head of state, Sani Abacha, asked: "How do you expect people to forgive those who were torturing our people?" In reference to the scores of apologies and tears shed at the panel by Abacha aides, currently standing trial for political murders, the lawyer said apologies were not enough. "There must be penitence, then forgiveness can follow. But in this case, there is no penitence whatsoever," Adesanya added. Gani Fawehinmi, another lawyer and activist, also said in testimonies before the panel that "everything must be in the open". In earlier comments Fawehinmi, who suffered incarceration by military governments, insisted that former President Ibrahim Babangida must testify here over the death in 1986 of Dele Giwa, chief executive officer of the weekly magazine, Newswatch. Fawehinmi and Giwa's colleagues allege that Babangida, and two of his top security chiefs, had knowledge of the killing - by letter bomb - of the former editor-in-chief. Babangida, who has denied knowledge of the death, has sought a court injunction barring the investigating panel from summoning him to testify. In an exclusive interview with 'This Day' newspaper published here Sunday, Babangida denied knowledge of Giwa's death. "I guess Dele Giwa's death is one of the mysteries we have to live with," the former military President, who ruled from 1985-1993, said. "Why is Gani Fawehinmi harassing my life over what I know nothing about. Why would I kill a journalist when I could have locked him up?" he asked. Babangida also does not appear to have much respect for the Oputa panel which could unearth violations during his eight-year rule: "Where in the world do you see an accused being hailed or several people clapping while trial is going on for charges as serious as murder?" he said. But not everyone is refusing to appear before the panel. Not only has President Obasanjo appeared, he has been recipient of apologies from several former army chiefs who testified that they lied to rope their former Commander-in-Chief in a phantom coup orchestrated by late Abacha in 1995. Obasanjo, jailed for 15 years, along with several serving officers, four journalists and civilians, was Nigeria's military leader from 1976-1979. Although Nigerians remember his emaciated figure following his release by General Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1998 after serving more than three years, Obasanjo's testimony at the Oputa panel did not generate as much controversy or publicity as that of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Abacha's chief security officer. Facing trials for ordering the deaths of leading opposition figures during the five years of Abacha's dictatorship, Al-Mustapha smiles through panel hearings, boos and jeers, denying any knowledge of torture or killings and bombings by members of the 17 separate security outfits that he commanded. No one perceived by Al-Mustapha as Abacha's enemies, according to witnesses, were immune from the many torture chambers. Witnesses, such as Abubakar Tsav, a former Police Commissioner alleged that Abacha henchmen were behind the bombings in this former federal capital, the bastion of opposition against the dictator who died in June 1998. Even his deputy, General Oladipo Diya, alleged that Abacha aided by Al-Mustapha and some named Generals, attempted to kill him by a bomb in 1997. Failure of the mission led to his arrest for another phantom coup, he alleged. Award winning journalist, Chris Anyanwu - jailed with Obasanjo - spoke of impairments to he eyesight and confiscation of her property. She is seeking a public apology and compensation to the tune of two million US dollars. Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye also wants compensation to be paid to his family and charity organisations for his detention for 560 days in Abacha's detention camp. Durojaiye recalled that Frank Omenka, commanding officer of the Directorate of Military Intelligence had told him upon arrest in December 1996: "I will line all of you who are members of NADECO and waste you all with my bullets and bury you all in a common grave and say here lie all those who caused trouble in this country." Omenka, wanted on murder charges, is believed to be in exile in Brazil. The Senator, a lawyer, said he was made to sleep on bare floor for two months, was starved and suffered high blood pressure during incarceration. Durojaiye said he suffered mental torture from hearing the wails and cries of people being flogged by security operatives. Al-Mustapha has seized the unprecedented freedom granted by the panel to accuse several prominent figures of heinous crimes including plans of an insurrection to the alleged murder of Moshood Abiola, the politician jailed by his former boss. But Abiola's wife, Kudirat, was killed on the orders of Al-Mustapha the confessed gunman, Barnabas Mshelia, told the panel. Moshood Abiola was the winner of the 1993 Presidential elections which were annulled by the military.
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