Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it was appalled by the emergence of a video clip which had gone viral, “that shows acts of humiliation against unarmed civilians by members of the Nigerian military.” It stated in a statement yesterday by the Director, Administration on Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, for the PDP spokesman “that if true, it’s the depth of callousness and a further descent into the gutter by people who are paid to protect life, property as well as the country’s territorial integrity.
” Th e statement read in part: “Th e PDP believes that human life is sacrosanct and must be treated as such by all and sundry; the right to life and liberty as enshrined in our Constitution and other international conventions must therefore not only be respected and protected, but must be seen to be so. “Th e PDP welcomed the initiative of the Nigerian Army’s probe on the issue, but given the enormity of this allegation and the respect with which we hold life, the party hereby calls for the setting up of an independent panel of experts on human rights to ascertain the veracity of this allegation.
“Where they are proven tobe true, the PDP demands that all perpetrators as well as all those connected, however remotely, be immediately brought to justice. “Th is would go a long way to not only serve as a deterrent, but also reassure the international community that Nigeria is not a jungle but a decent society where human rights are being promoted. “Finally, the PDP frowns on and condemns violence in all its ramifi cations and calls on all Nigerians, wherever they are, to eschew it and live peacefully with one another.”
