The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 revealed it had constituted a Special Investigative Panel to probe details of the bloody weekend clash between the Shiite Muslim sect and the Nigerian Army which took about 7 lives and left 10 others injured.
According to a statement by the commission, the panel which was set up by the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof Bem Angwe is as a result of a petition filed by the Nigerian Army and “some concerned citizens” against the Shiite sect.
The panel is to be headed by the director of the commission’s monitoring department, Mr. Tony Ojukwu.
The statement signed by Mr. Lambert Okpara on behalf of Prof. Angwe reads:
“In setting the panel, Prof. Angwe stressed the need for all the parties in the dispute to sheath their swords and assured that the commission will get to the root of the matter
“The Executive Secretary noted that the country is operating a democracy which demands that institutions must act within the ambit of the law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
“In a democracy, the rule of law is supreme and it is important that we continue to remind everyone about the need to respect each others’ right.”
According to Angwe, the commission will conduct a thorough investigation into what went on so as to come up with a report that addresses the current situation and more importantly help prevent a recurrence.
