9 Groups Sue FG Over War Crimes

9 Groups Sue FG Over War Crimes

A civil rights group, Access to Justice and eight other civil society organisations have dragged President Goodluck Jonathan before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order of mandamus to compel investigation of allegation of war crimes committed by the military and Civilian Joint Task Force(CJTF).

Also joined as defendant in the matter is the attorney general of the federation and minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

Other plaintiffs in the suit are One Voice Coalition, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Human Rights Law Services, Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Network on Police Reform in Nigeria Foundation, Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, Centre for Constitutional Governance and Centre for Constitutionalism and Militarisation.

In a motion ex parte, brought pursuant to Order 34 Rule 3(1) and (2) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009, the groups are seeking an order for leave to apply for an order of Mandamus compelling the respondents to exercise the legal duty to conduct a thorough, prompt, independent and impartial investigation into allegations or reports of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions made by an international human rights body named Amnesty International whose report issued with an accompanying video footage dated August 5th 2014, depicted horrendous acts of extrajudicial killings and torture of suspected members of the Boko Haram sect carried out by members of the Nigerian military and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

In the grounds for reliefs sought, the plaintiffs through their counsel, Chumma Otteh, argued that it is a legal duty upon Jonathan and the AGF to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations.