Civil Society Organisations have called on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to open an investigation into the gruesome murder of police officers by personnel of the Nigerian Army.
The CSOs, who spoke in Abuja at a round table of civil society organisations on interagency rivalry and conflict agenda, also posited that the Chief of Defence Staff does not have the legal power to set up a panel to investigate the killings.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana said that since the president has no power to institute an inquiry into the killing, which occurred outside the federal capital territory, he could not delegate the inquiry to the chief of Defence Staff since a power which does not exist cannot be delegated.
He added that the Panel set up by the Chief of Defence into the illegal killing of the four people along Ibi-Wukari road in Taraba State on August 7. 2019 should be disbanded without any further delay.
Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma said it was the mandate of the human rights commission to investigate the infringement of human rights in the country.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari had called on the Chief of Defence staff to investigate the issue but a neutral, impartial body needs to investigate it such as the human rights commission.
On his part, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) Udo Jude Ilo also called on the human rights commission to investigate on the killing and ensure that the document of the findings are made public.
Executive Director, Partners West African Nigeria (PWAN), Mrs Kemi Okenyodo said it was strange how the human rights commission would wait to be told that they should handle the investigation on the matter.
Olanrewaju Suraju from Human and Environmental Development Agenda said the military should be subjected to the constitution and be prosecuted.
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