The International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety) has slammed the Federal Government for what it called its “coordinated and sustained plans" to disrupt the February 14 interment and funeral of the traditional ruler of the Afara-Ukwu Kingdom, HRM Eze Israel Okwu Kanu, and his wife, Lolo Sally Ugoeze Kanu.

It said that the activities of the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Army and Police, is a violation of the human rights of every individual as enshrined in the United Nations charter which include civil and political, economic, social and cultural, and environmental rights.

The rights group noted that “at natural or lawful death, their rights extend to rights to have their remains retrieved, interred or committed to mother earth and given befitting burials and funerals.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi (Chair of the Board); Anayo Okoli (Board Member); and Samuel Kamanyaoku (Head of Field Data Collection & Documentation), Intersociety said that its position was in reaction to the “coordinated and sustained plans by the Federal Government of Nigeria and its ethno-religiously lopsided security agencies to violently disrupt the February 14 interment and funeral of the traditional ruler of the Afara-Ukwu Kingdom, HRM Eze Israel Okwu Kanu, who was sacrilegiously declared ‘dead’ and his wife, Lolo Sally Ugoeze, fixed for burial same date.”

Intersociety noted that under divine rights of monarch, applicable to all generational ages and kingdoms till date including Nigeria and Igbo Land, a reigning king does not die, but joins his ancestors to continue living in the cosmic world.

“It is also a taboo for his death to be commonly announced. His passage is usually marked with ‘last Ofala festival’ or its equivalent, chiefly organized by the kingmakers.

“Under the same ‘Divine Rights of the Kings’ operational in Nigeria and Igbo Land till date, the Palace of a king cannot be desecrated through acts of state violence or threats of same. The Palace of a king is kept holy and respected all the time same way churches and mosques are preserved and respected.

“These are on account of the divine principle that ‘kings/queens are the representatives of God on earth and divinely anointed to reign forever’ or till they joined their ancestors. It is still remembered that the Igbo Ethnic Nationality is the oldest Nationality in Nigeria, founded some 3,470 years ago.”

The rights group lamented that the Federal Government has committed ‘many atrocities’ against the Kingdom of Afara-Ukwu in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State and their traditional ruler, HRM Eze Israel Okwu Kanu and brutally desecrated their land.

“The atrocities committed in the ancient Kingdom by the Government of Nigeria are unspeakably unheard of, and have never been visited on any royal Palace of an Oba in the Southwest or Emir in the Northern Muslim Nigeria.

“It is therefore recalled that the ancient and peaceful Kingdom of Afara-Ukwu was first visited with unprovoked and egregious attacks by the Nigerian Army on September 14, 2017 during which no fewer than 105 unarmed, nonviolent and defenseless Igbo citizens were shot at close range and killed.

“Not less than 60 others were also shot and critically injured with scores crippled for life. No single soldier was killed in the attacks. This was because the attacked were unarmed, defenseless and helpless.

“In the hallowed or benevolent Igbo Kingship system, this is monumentally sacrilegious and abominable; requiring thorough cleansing and justice against the perpetrators; else the ancient Kingdom will generationally be thrown into a ghost town and endless spiritual tormenting.

“This is because it is not only that over 100 souls were massacred in the ancient Kingdom by the Nigerian soldiers, but they were innocent and unarmed; massacred during their peaceful assembly in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu, their leader and biological son of the respected Traditional Ruler of the Community.”

Intersociety stressed that the killing of innocent souls constitutes the highest crime and abomination in the Igbo Traditional and Kingship Society.

“The most undoing by the Government of Nigeria and its sacrilegiously-composed security agencies is that as against all known legal provisions and ‘rules of engagement’ in civil-military relationship or policing, many bodies of those killed during the grisly attacks were taken away by soldiers and thrown into the bush to decompose without traces or identification; or decimated with raw acid substances in shallow graves to evade traces and justice.

“Scores of those shot and injured and rushed to clinics by sympathizers; were also traced to their clinic beds, abducted and possibly killed. The Government further acted abominably by declaring both group and individual victims as ‘terrorists’.”

Intersociety attributed the demise of the monarch and his wife to attacks by the Nigerian Army considering their old ages, vulnerable health conditions that follow same, and the grisly war-like or gun attack at their Palace and ancestral home.

“Though it is unclear whether they sustained bullet wounds during the attacks, but it is certain they were traumatized and psychologically tortured. If these turned out to be true, then the Government of Nigeria and its sacrilegiously-composed Nigerian Army led by Lt Gen Yusuf Tukur Buratai are liable and shall be held to account when appropriate.

“The Nigerian Army ordered by the Government of Nigeria committed abomination and sacrilege by invading and violently attacking the Palace of Afara-Ukwu Kingdom and ancestral home of Eze Israel Okwu Kanu and his family.

“It is also both a taboo and an abomination to massacre over 100 innocent and defenseless souls at a peaceful and sacred traditional kingship Palace; thereby turning the Kingdom into ‘a kingdom flowing with innocent blood and tears’.

“In matters of legality, the atrocious acts of the Government of Nigeria and its Army totally defied constitutionality and legality. The Army monumentally acted unconstitutionally and ultra vires. This is because Mr. Nnamdi Kanu who was on a Federal High Court bail owing to spurious high crime charges against him ought not to have been targeted by soldiers for attack. Nigerian Army is neither the Court nor the Nigeria Police Force.

“Even if Mr. Kanu had violated his bail conditions, the Federal prosecutors know what to do both in law and in practice. In a serious minded democracy, the Nigerian Army Chief should have long been fired and sent to jail.”

The civil liberty advocacy group also expressed worry that the Government of Nigeria is still undone and unrepentant over the atrocities it has despicably committed against the Afara-Ukwu Kingdom and their Traditional Ruler, to the extent that the atrocities are being perpetrated even after the King’s departure and death of his wife.

“As a matter of fact, the Federal Government has totally disrupted and destroyed the funerals; thereby sacrilegiously depriving the victims’ families and the entire Afara-Ukwu Kingdom their rights to give their royal King and Lolo befitting interment and funeral including receiving friends and well-wishers from far and near.”

Intersociety therefore called on the Federal Government to back out and allow the royal dead to be given befitting burial.

“The Government must further undertake the responsibility of publicly assuring the mourners including the Afara-Ukwu kingmakers and notable personalities and groups of their maximum security and safety during the funerals.

“Mourners from all walks of life wishing to mourn the royally departed husband and wife must be allowed to mourn them under circumstances devoid of state threats and violence. Anything short of the above, the Federal Government of Nigeria and its drafted security personnel and their leaders shall take full blames and be held liable.”