Boko Haram: House Probes Aljazeera’s Video Clips
From Onwuka Nzeshi in Abuja THISDAY | Feb.11.2010

The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Joint Committee on Police Affairs, Human Rights and Justice to investigate the authenticity of video clips showing alleged extra judicial killings of unarmed civilians in the wake of the infamous Boko Haram sectarian crisis in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The Joint Committee is expected to investigate the level of complicity or otherwise of men and officers of the Nigeria Police and report their findings to the House within two weeks.
The resolve to investigate the allegations followed a motion of urgent public importance brought to the plenary by Hon. Abdulrahman Suleiman Kawu (ANPP Kano) in which he expressed concern at the content of the video clips.

Kawu disclosed that the Middle East based cable television channel, Aljazeera, had made repeated broadcast of some disturbing video clips in which armed security operatives dressed in the uniform of the Nigeria Police Force were seen going from door to door bringing out unarmed civilians and shooting them to death at close range.

He said the footages of the extra-judicial killings showed that the executions took place on the streets of Maiduguri where a combined team of the Nigerian military and the police were drafted to quell the Boko Haram crisis last year.
In the lead debate, Kawu condemned the killings, arguing that it was barbaric and uncivilised for the police personnel paid to protect lives and property of the citizenry to carry out such dastard act under the guise of quelling riots.

Hon. Rabe Nasir, who spoke in favour of the motion said what was shown on the cable television was a massive extra-judicial killing of innocent citizens, alleging that allegations of extra-judicial killings have become a recurring decimal whenever the Nigeria Police if deployed to quell civil disturbances in different parts of the country.

Others who spoke in favour of the motion included, Honourables Dino Melaye, Yakubu Ali Biu, Henry Dickson, Lanre Agoro, Femi Gbajabiamila, Abdul Ningi, Abike Dabiri-Erewa as well as Samson Osagie.
They all expressed concern at the content of the video broadcast on the cable television but opinions were divided whether the House should urge the Executive to constitute a judicial panel of inquiry into the matter or for the House to investigate it using its relevant committees.

Although, Honourable Mustapha Ahmed and Honourable Omotayo Oyetunji attempted to kick against some aspects of the motion, the majority of lawmakers were in favour of the house conducting an investigation and giving the Nigeria Police a fair hearing on the matter.

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