Two United States Attorneys,
Bruce Fein and Bruce DelValle of Fein& DelValle PPLC have met with ten
Nigerian witnesses on the suit filed in the United States District court of
Columbia against 14 Nigerian defendants for their alleged involvement in the
2016 alleged torture and extra-judicial killings of pro Biafran agitators
during their peaceful protests.
The two attorneys, who stormed Nigeria three days ago met with the families of the victims at an undisclosed location and also extracted various statements from them which were deposed as affidavits of facts to the suit.
Ten Biafran plaintiffs are
seeking millions of dollars as damages to compensate for their grievous losses
and suffering following the alleged gruesome killings of pro Biafra agitators
in Nkpor and Onitsha , Anambra State and Aba, Abia State in 2016 during the
peaceful demonstration for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous
People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
Attorney Bruce Fein told newsmen
that they were in Nigeria as a follow up to the suit already in court because
of Biafra agitators who were murdered as a result of high level military and
security agencies infringement of their rights to freedom of assembly and
expression while the state governors could not also protect the demonstrators.
Fein said, “after filing the case
in the US court, we were able to convince the judge that revealing the
identities of the complainants /plaintiffs in the suit could result in
retaliations and danger against their families, hence the reason the court
settled for the name John Doe etal so that it can proceed anonymously.
“13 defendants out of 16 have
been effectively served with the court summons because Igbos and Christians
have the right to live in the country and enjoy their full rights as citizens
of Nigeria.”
The Nigerian facilitators, Emeka
Umeagbalasi, board chairman, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule
of Law and Okpalaezenri Emeka Onyeso of the Forum for the Promotion of National
Ethos and Values, who spoke after the meeting noted that the struggle to ensure
justice for the victims and families of those who died through the use of state
power of coercion while engaging in peaceful protest is a noble cause that must
be pursued to a logical conclusion.
Other defendants in the suit
included former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, former Commander
302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, Col Ibrahim Maigeri and Governors Willie
Obiano and Okezie Ikpeazu of Anambra and Abia States, among others.
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