Nigeria’s only newspaper published in part with the support of its readers, The Dream Daily, has petitioned the United Nations (UN) to probe allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide raised in the aftermath of “Operation Python Dance 2” executed by the Nigerian Army recently in Abia State.
In a petition signed by the newspaper’s Publisher/Editor-In-Chief, Mr. Osigbesan Sultan Luqman, and titled, “A Petition seeking a United Nations Commission of Inquiry to probe allegations of genocide committed by the Nigerian Army during “Operation Python Dance 2” in South-East Nigeria as a whole and Abia State in particular”, The Dream Daily said it took the unprecedented humanitarian step as “both a patriotic and moral duty we owe our great country Nigeria and the deceased from Operation Python 2 as strong claims of ethnic cleansing and genocide continue to be made against the Nigerian Army following the apparent extra-judicial killings of these unfortunate Nigerians of Igbo ethnic extractions – purportedly for their membership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group currently agitating for self-determination in the Nigerian body-politic – in the aforesaid operation.”
The petition dated September 19, 2019 was submitted to the UN Secretary General through the Country Director, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Abuja and copied to Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel; Director, Amnesty International Nigeria Office
Head; European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria; His Eminence Pope Francis, Vatican City, The Hole See; President Donald Trump of the United States of America; President Emmanuel Macron of France; President Vladimir Putin of Russia; President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China and British Prime Minister Theresa May.
The Dream Daily charged the UN to “launch the inquiry immediately so that evidence of the alleged genocide – if any – is not compromised or lost over time.”
It added: “If preliminary investigations by the UN inquiry establish a prima-facie case against the Nigerian Army, we urge that the UN promptly issue an arms sales embargo by all UN members against the Nigerian Army in order to halt further loss of innocent Nigerians lives in the South East, and South-South and part of South West Nigeria where the Nigerian Army also plans to launch similar army operations ostensibly against criminals in the regions, which operation, constitutionally, does not come under the purview of the Army but of the Nigeria Police.”
The Petition reads in full:
“The Dream Daily Newspaper is Nigeria’s only radical-progressive newspaper partly published with the voluntary donations and support of its readers.
We write to petition the United Nations (UN) and beseech you, Sir, to use your good offices to launch an independent commission of inquiry into the death of no fewer than 20 Nigerians of South-East Nigerian origin killed during “Operation Python 2” launched by the Nigerian Army on Friday, September 15, 2017 in Abia State, South-East Nigeria.
Our petition is both a patriotic and moral duty we owe our great country Nigeria and the deceased from “Operation Python 2” as strong claims of ethnic cleansing and genocide continue to be made against the Nigerian Army following the apparent extra-judicial killings of these unfortunate Nigerians of Igbo ethnic extractions – purportedly for their membership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group currently agitating for self-determination in the Nigerian body-politic – in the aforesaid operation.
The Dream Daily newspaper suggests that the UN launch the inquiry immediately so that evidence of the alleged genocide – if any – is not compromised or lost over time.
If preliminary investigations by the UN inquiry establish a prima-facie case against the Nigerian Army, we urge that the UN promptly issue an arms sales embargo by all UN members against the Nigerian Army in order to halt further loss of innocent Nigerians lives in the South East, and South-South and part of South West Nigeria where the Nigerian Army also plans to launch similar army operations ostensibly against criminals in the regions, which operation, constitutionally, does not come under the purview of the Army but of the Nigeria Police.
Your prompt and favourable action on this petition is eagerly awaited and deeply appreciated.
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