Sue British Govt for killings in Eastern Nigeria — Falana. By Lucy Osuizigbo

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Lagos-based rights activist, Mr Femi Falana said he was ready to collaborate with the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo, to sue the British government over alleged killings of Nigerians in the Eastern Region during colonial rule.

Falana said this at the 19th Annual Lecture to mark the 73rd birthday of Dr Mike Okonkwo, Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) held on Wednesday, in Lagos, under the theme: ‘Nigeria’s Unity, Matters Arising’.

He said that the colonial regime engaged in the ruthless exploitation of Nigerians and those who opposed them were killed.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the survivors of the Mau Mau operation in Kenya who sued the British government over killings of their people had been recently compensated.

According to him,  the Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo group can sue the British government over the killing of some Aba women, during the Aba Women  riot of 1929, and the miners, in Iva Valley Massacre of 1949.
 
”I’m sure we are aware that even some of our women, the Aba women who protested against the payments of double taxation in 1929, under ‘You tax my husband and you also tax me’. Fifty five of these women were killed. 
 
”Also, in 1949, in the Iva valley,  Enugu, what we call the Iva Valley Masacre, about 21 coal miners were killed by the British government.

”Therefore, I request you, Dr John Nwodo , as the President of the Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo worldwide, to assemble a team of lawyers and I will be ready to render my service, pro bono plubic, to sue the British government for the killings of people of Eastern Nigeria.

”Why I’m giving you that assignment is that for the killings that took place in Kenya during the Mau Mau operation in the 50s,  the British government was sued a few years ago by  some of my colleagues in the United Kingdom.

”The British government raised an objection that the matter was statute barred and human rights lawyers all over the world made submission to Infer that there can be no statute of limitations when it comes to violation of human rights in any part of the world. 
 
”As soon as the objection was knocked out,  the British government entered into negotiations and paid the survivors of the Mau Mau operation 19.4 million pounds.
 
”We must do the same. That is what the late MKO Abiola was struggling for – reparation for  Africans who were colonised and enslaved for a total period of 500 years. 
 
”But we can still go to court in the United Kingdom to sue the British government for killing our people, ” Falana said. 
I'm Lucy Osuizigbo. A graduate of Mass Communication, now a Journalist, with special interest in Health, Environment, Gender and Poltics. I'm simple, passionate, all about self development and I'm the Journalist's Journalist

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