INTERVIEW! Nasarawa Massacre: Gov Al-makura Is A Suspect- ‘Ombatse’ Counsel JANUARY 26, 2014 11:42 AM0 COMMENTSVIEWS: 483 It is no longer news that the ‘Ombatse’ group accused of carrying out mass killing of security operatives in Nasarawa state has headed to court to stop the receiving and implementation of the report of the Commission of Inquiry set up by the State Government to investigate the killing. Our Correspondent in Lafia, Godwin Kingsley, interviewed the Counsel to the Ombatse group, Zachary Zamani Allumuga, on what informed the group’s decision to head to court. Excerpts: Prompt News: Sir, with the counter affidavit filed by the commission’s secretary and the state governor, do you think that the long awaited report has been pre-empted? Allumuga: Absolutely, very unfortunate. You will get from the terms of reference, go and find out the involvement of Ombatse members. Go and find out how involved they are. The commission is saying that ombatse is responsible for the killing, destruction, maiming, and arson. That is what the secretary deposed to in his counter affidavit and found as a fact. He said that, he has the authority and consent of the chairman and other members of the commission to depose to the affidavit. In his disposition at paragraph 8, he said, he knows as a fact that the Ombatse group in spite of the ban is still going on and its activities are to kill, to maim, to destroy and to cause arson. If the commission is of that position, that is their disposition. And that is what they were asked to find out. The only other aspect of the commission’s report now is who and who are members of Ombatse. That’s all. What they did, they have now claimed they have determined what they did. Who did it is what they are now going to look at. And you know apparently that Allumuga cannot be the only person that would constitute the whole of Ombatse group for the purposes of committing arson, murder and the rest of them. So, there must be other people along and these other people are what they are all targeting. I said in the commission when i went to testify, though as a commission witness that even though i was just becoming aware of the law banning Ombatse group, I will wait for the commission to give its report before I decide to advice on what to do. But, i discovered in the commission, in the course of my evidence convinced me that i should tell the other members that we should go to court and particularly, the commission chairman’s act. I noted that, he argued with me when i said the governor’s gift of one million naira amounted to sponsorship. Prompt News: You specifically wrote about it in your magazine. The commission chairman told the world that it is a gift. Allumaga: The governor should be giving people gift. So, he is here to be collecting gift from the governor. Is that what he is saying? What is the meaning of that? That 15 of us as admitted by the governor. Although, i will not join issues with him on it again for the fact that he has admitted to it. 15 of us were given N1 million naira to go and eat at Nicon Hilton Hotel or where? Did we go to tell him that we were hungry? Or that we did not come with transport? That is nonsense. So, when the commission has this kind of record at several instances. For instance the commission chairman was ordering me to answer a question, you don’t do that in a fact finding commission. When you say you are ordering me to answer a question and i am a commission witness. That is wrong legal procedure, very wrong. A commission is a fact finding commission not a penal court. The second aspect is the affidavit of the state governor that says he too knows as a fact that Ombatse is engaged in killing, maiming and the rest of it. Now this is the point we are saying. If you knew, you went to the prayer ground and had a discussion with the members and made promises on the 2nd of February, 2013. You claimed to have banned the group on the 29h of November, 2012. And On the 2nd of February, 2013 you were there. While you were there, have you unbanned the group? Or was the ban still subsisting? And if it was, you are part of those that did the illegality. That is the conclusion. The governor himself is a suspect in this case. Why is he talking about report when he is connected to what he claims to be illegal. You are fraternizing with the criminals. If you look at my testimonies at the commission I said that there is an Ombatse group and Ombatse militia. And I said, I am optimistic that the governor organized the militias to go to Alakio and engage the police men. Otherwise tell me how we got here. That he said he has banned the group and was present at Alogani on February 2nd. Prompt News: But, the governor said that he was there because the Ombatse group have repented from their evil ways and he was there to reintegrate them back into the society? Allumuga: My brother, how did he arrange us before the meeting? Is it a family meeting that you will just organize anyhow? In other words were there processes before the meeting was convened? You saw the permanent secretary’s counter affidavit, he said when he came there, there were canopies and chairs. It was an elaborate arrangement isn’t it? Prompt News: Do you have prove to your claims? Allumuga: I have deposed to it that it is in a cassette. All these ones are bloody grammars. I cannot write what is in the cassette. The court will hear and see what is in the cassette. Infact, it is what I call receipt Sallo quito. The facts will speak for itself. What the governor asked that we should be told is there. Prompt News: Sir, in letter written by the legal consultant of governor Al-makura, he said that the Ombatse group is not a registered group and as such cannot sue or be sued. What is your reaction to this? Allumuga: Now that the governor has banned us, they are saying we are not registered. Let the court decide. It is not grammar, if an organization is not registered, I appreciate. They may say we don’t have the locus standi. But, if you take illegal steps to ban that organization, it has been recognized. Government has banned an illegal institution, yes; we will have to test to see if we are illegal. The constitution allows freedom of association. Is it the association that is illegal, you will have to prove that. The world will be told. We insist we are a prayer group and if any person wants to criminalize us, he is himself a criminal. We will prove it. Prompt News: The governor and his cohort are saying that there is nothing like abuse of fundamental human right of your group, because the group is a criminal group. What’s your reaction to this? Allumuga: A group that met with the governor and received one million naira is a criminal group? Let’s go to court. Who is talking sentiments? Who is talking nonsense? Who is dancing around the galaxy? That is not is the issue. We are saying you banned us without due process. Anything the governor does by way of law; he has been supported by the powers of the house of assembly to do it. And the House of Assembly does not make a law until it does public sitting. Did he do that in this case? That is what we are saying. Prompt News: But, they are saying that the law of Northern Nigeria is operational in Nasarawa State and they made use of it? Allumuga: The law of Northern Nigeria was made by some primitive people. We are now in court in the modern Nigeria. Don’t forget that Northern Nigeria was only one state then. But now it has been so vulcanized with civilization. We are not stagnant. We are moving. Things change including the law. It changes motandi motandi .We are going to show that the law has changed. Prompt News: Finally sir, should the commission’s report come out and indict some Eggon elite, what would be your next line of action? Allumuga: I don’t even see how the report will come out. How will it come out? Or are the implementers of the law so stupid. We are saying that the governor is a member of Ombatse. He went to the prayer ground he made money available.What moral justification has he to sit over the same matter? Doesn’t he have advisers? Doesn’t he have lawyers? Is the Attorney General not there to advice him? He can’t do that. Hecan’t. How can such a report come out? Let me tell you about law. A law could be made by legislation. And it can also be made by a revolution. And they know it. If any lawyer did his legal system well he should know that. Look I told you that I can have blow by blow account. Look, what i am interested in is that some people have been killed and we need to identify who was involved so that justice can be done. You took 120 policemen to go and catch one old man. You have no motive? The law should look at you because you are governor. You are saying the deputy governor sent them there. He told you five minutes before time. How many minutes do you need to stop that operation?
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 02:41:01 +0000
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