Court orders Ugwuanyi to investigate killing of 22 unarmed youth in Emene

The Enugu state High Court has ordered Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state to constitute a judicial commission of inquiry into the gruesome murder of twenty-two unarmed youth by the Nigerian security agencies in Emene, Enugu state.


On August 23, 2021, no fewer than 22 unarmed youth were extra-judicially killed by combined security operatives, made up of Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Police, Department of Security Services (DSS) and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), at Emene in Enugu east council area of the state.


Trouble had started when operatives of the DSS attacked youth suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), who were playing football and other forms of game at the Community High School, Emene and started shooting them.


The youth in their numbers overpowered two DSS operatives after they had allegedly shot two of them and killed them.


The Commissioner of Police then, Ahmad Abdur rahman, deployed joint security agents who allegedly killed 22 youth including women who were returning from church service that morning and labeled them IPOB members.
Since the incident, the state government has not condemned the massacre nor the state investigated the incident, despite that the governor visited the scene shortly after the incident.


Several Igbo groups, human rights organisations, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and even Global human rights organisation, Amnesty International had condemned the massacre and urged the state government to investigate the killing.


However, the state government instead denied that nobody was killed except the two DSS operatives.
Angered by the state government denial, the Registered Trustees of Christian Network and Community Development & Anor, dragged the governor to court praying that it should mandate the governor and his government to investigate the killing and ensure that those involved are brought to justice.


Ruling on the case in the Suit No E/569M/2020, between Registered Trustees of Christian Network and Community Development & Anor. V. Governor of Enugu State & Anor, on Wednesday, the presiding Judge, Justice C.C. Ani PhD of High Court 6, ordered the governor to institute a panel of inquiry into the killing.