SERAP to UN rights chief: speak out & hold special session on Benue killings

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has
sent an urgent appeal to Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights urging him to use his leadership
position to “urgently call and/or facilitate the holding of a
special session of the UN Human Rights Council to address
persistent killings apparently by herdsmen in Benue State of
Nigeria and other parts of the country.”

The organization also urged Prince Al Hussein to “speak out
strongly and condemn the killings apparently by herdsmen in the
country, and make an official visit to Nigeria with special
rapporteurs with relevant mandates to discuss the killings and
concrete actions to end the killings and ultimately bring about
significant improvements in the lives of farmers and their families
as well as other citizens affected by violence across the
country.”

In an urgent appeal dated 6 January 2018 and signed by SERAP
executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization said, “The
UN Human Rights Council’s ability to successfully expose and hold
perpetrators of human rights violations to account may be under
threat if your office continues to ignore or pay little attention
to the crimes and abuses apparently by herdsmen and other unknown
perpetrators in Nigeria.”

The organization said, “While we acknowledge that the council
has made significant contributions to human rights elsewhere, we
are concerned that the violence and killings in Nigeria rarely
attract the attention of the UN and particularly, your office. It
is time for your office to speak out strongly against the
continuing killings by herdsmen in Nigeria for the sake of
thousands of victims and their families who continue to lack access
to an effective remedy, including truth, justice and full and
effective reparation.”

Suspected herdsmen yesterday killed at least 11 persons in a
fresh attack on Tombu village in Logo Local Government Area of
Benue State. This followed the alleged killing earlier in the week
of at least 33 people apparently by herdsmen in the State.

The urgent appeal read in part: “The killings in Benue State of
Nigeria and the distressing situation of farmers and their families
paint a stark picture of the grave abuses carried out apparently by
herdsmen and the impunity that they continue to enjoy. The actions
of herdsmen hinder meaningful progress towards stability,
development and peace in the country.”

“We also urge your office to facilitate the process of creating
a commission of inquiry to investigate killings by herdsmen in
Nigeria, and to uncover, name and shame cow owners that hire the
herdsmen, as such owners may be criminally complicit in the
killings. The involvement of your office will ensure solid
investigations into the alleged killings, and help draw
international attention to the problem, which in turn will go a
long way in putting pressure on the Nigerian authorities to take
concrete and meaningful steps to end the killings and bring
suspected perpetrators to justice.”

“SERAP notes that the Human Rights Council was created in 2006
to replace the failed UN Commission on Human Rights, which had
largely been unwilling to address real human rights concerns in
deserving countries.”

“The council needs to be vigilant to avoid the problems that
plagued its predecessor, including a loss of relevance from failing
to speak out on human rights violations and abuses in deserving
countries, such as Nigeria. We urge your office to seek full
respect for the right to life, to personal security and dignity, to
property, and other human rights of farmers and other Nigerians,
consistent with the international human rights standards your
office has sworn to uphold.”

“Nigeria is a member of the Human Rights Council, and has
ratified several UN human rights treaties, including the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. Nigeria has also ratified
the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which has in fact
become part of the national laws.”

“The Human Rights Council cannot be silent when innocent
citizens are caught up in violence such as the one going on in
Benue State. The international community must strive to deliver
justice to victims of human rights violations and abuses wherever
they occur and ensure that those found to be responsible for such
crimes are brought to justice.”

“SERAP strongly believes that the holding of a special session
on the violence and killings apparently by herdsmen in Benue State
and elsewhere in Nigeria would contribute to a speedy end to the
problem, and to peace and greater respect for human rights of
farmers and their families as well as other citizens.”

“The holding of a special session on the killings in Benue State
will be consistent with the practice of the Human Rights Council
regarding its previous special sessions on the Occupied Palestinian
Territories; Lebanon; Darfur; Myanmar; the Democratic Republic of
the Congo; the Global Food Crisis and the Global Economic and
Financial Crises, among others.”

SERAP therefore urged Prince Al Hussein to:

1. Urgently facilitate a special session of the UN Human Rights
Council to discuss the persistent killings by herdsmen and other
unknown perpetrators in Benue State of Nigeria and other parts of
the country with a view to ending the problem and ensuring access
of victims and their families to an effective remedy, including
truth, justice and full and effective reparation;

2. Speak out strongly and condemn the killings by herdsmen and
other unknown perpetrators in the country, and make an official
visit to Nigeria with special rapporteurs having relevant mandates
to discuss the killings and concrete actions to ultimately end the
problem, and bring about significant improvements in the lives of
farmers and their families as well as other citizens affected by
violence across the country;

3. Put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to allow and
facilitate the visits of Special Procedures mandate holders to
investigate years of violence and killings by herdsmen and other
unknown perpetrators in the country with complete impunity;

4. Prevail on the Nigerian authorities to fulfil its obligations
under the Rome Statute of the ICC to investigate fully,
effectively, fairly, independently and impartially and bring to
justice those suspected to be responsible for crimes against
humanity in the context of the on-going attacks and violence in
Benue State and elsewhere in the country;

5. Use the opportunity of the special session to urge other
states to exercise universal jurisdiction over the killings and
violence in Benue State and elsewhere in the country

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has
sent an urgent appeal to Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights urging him to use his leadership
position to “urgently call and/or facilitate the holding of a
special session of the UN Human Rights Council to address
persistent killings apparently by herdsmen in Benue State of
Nigeria and other parts of the country.”

The organization also urged Prince Al Hussein to “speak out
strongly and condemn the killings apparently by herdsmen in the
country, and make an official visit to Nigeria with special
rapporteurs with relevant mandates to discuss the killings and
concrete actions to end the killings and ultimately bring about
significant improvements in the lives of farmers and their families
as well as other citizens affected by violence across the
country.”

In an urgent appeal dated 6 January 2018 and signed by SERAP
executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization said, “The
UN Human Rights Council’s ability to successfully expose and hold
perpetrators of human rights violations to account may be under
threat if your office continues to ignore or pay little attention
to the crimes and abuses apparently by herdsmen and other unknown
perpetrators in Nigeria.”

The organization said, “While we acknowledge that the council
has made significant contributions to human rights elsewhere, we
are concerned that the violence and killings in Nigeria rarely
attract the attention of the UN and particularly, your office. It
is time for your office to speak out strongly against the
continuing killings by herdsmen in Nigeria for the sake of
thousands of victims and their families who continue to lack access
to an effective remedy, including truth, justice and full and
effective reparation.”

Suspected herdsmen yesterday killed at least 11 persons in a
fresh attack on Tombu village in Logo Local Government Area of
Benue State. This followed the alleged killing earlier in the week
of at least 33 people apparently by herdsmen in the State.

The urgent appeal read in part: “The killings in Benue State of
Nigeria and the distressing situation of farmers and their families
paint a stark picture of the grave abuses carried out apparently by
herdsmen and the impunity that they continue to enjoy. The actions
of herdsmen hinder meaningful progress towards stability,
development and peace in the country.”

“We also urge your office to facilitate the process of creating
a commission of inquiry to investigate killings by herdsmen in
Nigeria, and to uncover, name and shame cow owners that hire the
herdsmen, as such owners may be criminally complicit in the
killings. The involvement of your office will ensure solid
investigations into the alleged killings, and help draw
international attention to the problem, which in turn will go a
long way in putting pressure on the Nigerian authorities to take
concrete and meaningful steps to end the killings and bring
suspected perpetrators to justice.”

“SERAP notes that the Human Rights Council was created in 2006
to replace the failed UN Commission on Human Rights, which had
largely been unwilling to address real human rights concerns in
deserving countries.”

“The council needs to be vigilant to avoid the problems that
plagued its predecessor, including a loss of relevance from failing
to speak out on human rights violations and abuses in deserving
countries, such as Nigeria. We urge your office to seek full
respect for the right to life, to personal security and dignity, to
property, and other human rights of farmers and other Nigerians,
consistent with the international human rights standards your
office has sworn to uphold.”

“Nigeria is a member of the Human Rights Council, and has
ratified several UN human rights treaties, including the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. Nigeria has also ratified
the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which has in fact
become part of the national laws.”

“The Human Rights Council cannot be silent when innocent
citizens are caught up in violence such as the one going on in
Benue State. The international community must strive to deliver
justice to victims of human rights violations and abuses wherever
they occur and ensure that those found to be responsible for such
crimes are brought to justice.”

“SERAP strongly believes that the holding of a special session
on the violence and killings apparently by herdsmen in Benue State
and elsewhere in Nigeria would contribute to a speedy end to the
problem, and to peace and greater respect for human rights of
farmers and their families as well as other citizens.”

“The holding of a special session on the killings in Benue State
will be consistent with the practice of the Human Rights Council
regarding its previous special sessions on the Occupied Palestinian
Territories; Lebanon; Darfur; Myanmar; the Democratic Republic of
the Congo; the Global Food Crisis and the Global Economic and
Financial Crises, among others.”

SERAP therefore urged Prince Al Hussein to:

1. Urgently facilitate a special session of the UN Human Rights
Council to discuss the persistent killings by herdsmen and other
unknown perpetrators in Benue State of Nigeria and other parts of
the country with a view to ending the problem and ensuring access
of victims and their families to an effective remedy, including
truth, justice and full and effective reparation;

2. Speak out strongly and condemn the killings by herdsmen and
other unknown perpetrators in the country, and make an official
visit to Nigeria with special rapporteurs having relevant mandates
to discuss the killings and concrete actions to ultimately end the
problem, and bring about significant improvements in the lives of
farmers and their families as well as other citizens affected by
violence across the country;

3. Put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to allow and
facilitate the visits of Special Procedures mandate holders to
investigate years of violence and killings by herdsmen and other
unknown perpetrators in the country with complete impunity;

4. Prevail on the Nigerian authorities to fulfil its obligations
under the Rome Statute of the ICC to investigate fully,
effectively, fairly, independently and impartially and bring to
justice those suspected to be responsible for crimes against
humanity in the context of the on-going attacks and violence in
Benue State and elsewhere in the country;

5. Use the opportunity of the special session to urge other
states to exercise universal jurisdiction over the killings and
violence in Benue State and elsewhere in the country