It is on record that on the 30th day of March 2023, the members of the Islamic Shiites Movement of Nigeria, embarked on a peaceful protest around the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria, to compel the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to release the seized international passport of their leader -Sheik Ibrahim Elzakzaky, to enable him to travel outside the country for advanced medical treatment.

During this peaceful protest within the FCT, the combined team of the Nigeria Security Agents led by the Nigeria Police Force, intercepted the protesters, and peacefully dispersed the thronging crowd with mere teargas and nothing more. There were no casualties recorded and no arrests made.

Today, the 6th day of April, 2023, the members of the Islamic Shiites Movement of Nigeria, embarked on another peaceful protest within the FCT. Again, no arrests were made, no casualties were recorded.

In contrast, on the 31st day of March 2023, members of the non-violent Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) staged a peaceful protest in Aba, Abia state to demand for the release of their leader – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is still being illegally and unconstitutionally detained in solitary confinement at the facility of the Department of State Services (DSS), headquarters in Abuja, in gross violation of the Order of the Court of Appeal that directed for his unconditional release.

The members of the IPOB peaceful protesters were brutally attacked by the same combined team of the Nigeria Security Agents led by the Nigeria Police Force, and during the bloody attack on the non-violent and unarmed protesters, ten (10) persons were gruesomely murdered in broad day light, and five dead bodies were confiscated by the Nigerian Security Agents, while over one hundred and fifty (150) persons were arrested and taken to an undisclosed location till date.

You will observe that the members of the Islamic Shiites Movement of Nigeria, conducted their peaceful protest in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory and not even in Kaduna state. Yet, they were neither attacked nor gruesomely killed. Please recall that this group is still politically proscribed in Nigeria.

Unfortunately, for a similar peaceful protest, the non-violent members of the IPOB were not dispersed with teargas, but brutally attacked, killed, corpses confiscated, and harmless protesters arrested and taken to undisclosed locations.

Sadly and most unfortunate, this goes to clearly reveal that there are different laws for separate groups of persons in Nigeria, and different strokes for different folks.

We are, therefore, calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to wade into the recent genocidal massacre in Aba, Abia State and call her security agents to order and direct for the immediate release of the corpses of those killed to their families for proper burial, as well as the immediate release of the 150 peaceful protesters arrested and taken away.

Enough of this genocidal massacre of innocent and unarmed civilians in the South-East of Nigeria by overzealous security agents.

Again, we appeal for wise counsel to prevail!

Signed:
Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq. (KSC)
6th April, 2023.