Senate mandates committees to investigate Apo killings

The Senate on Tuesday mandated its committees on National Security and Intelligence and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to investigate the September 20 killings in Apo, Abuja.
The Senate took the decision after a debate on a motion sponsored by Senator Sahabi Ya’u (PDP-Zamfara) entitled: “Apo killings; a case of extra-judicial killing”.
Ya’u had, through a point of order on a matter of urgent national importance, asked the Senate to suspend its rules and discuss the matter immediately.
Leading debate on the motion, Ya’u said: “The Senate notes with dismay the shootings in an uncompleted building on Soji Aderemi Close, Bamanga Tukur Street of Apo Legislators quarters on September 20.”
He said the Senate was disturbed by the various accounts of the incident, which left eight people, mostly tricycle operators from Zamfara, Katsina and Kano States, dead, and about 16 injured.
Ya’u said the Department of State Security Services claimed that those killed were members of the Boko Haram sect, who were using the building as a hide-out and armoury.
He said that SSS claimed that its operatives were attacked by sympathisers of the sect while attempting to exhume weapons buried in the uncompleted building based on intelligence reports received from some detained sect members.
The legislator said that survivors and eyewitnesses, however, said the tricycle operators were squatters in the property, who paid N200 daily to sleep in the building although the owner had given them a deadline to vacate.
He said that the deadline given to them to vacate the premises had not elapsed before the owner, allegedly a highly placed service person, used the SSS and soldiers to forcibly eject the squatters.
Ya’u stressed the need for urgent investigation into the matter to maintain the sanctity of life.
He said the war on terror should not be converted to a platform for impunity and extra-judicial killings.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Clever Ikisikpo (PDP-Bayelsa) said that he lived in Zone E of the Legislators Quarters, which is about 100 metres from the spot of the incident.
Ikisikpo said that the incident greatly disturbed the neighbourhood.
He said: “We could not sleep that night and we were even scared to come out the following morning.
“It is not acceptable for the SSS to shoot people whether they are Boko Haram or Keke NAPEP (tricycle) operators.
“They should first be arrested and investigated.”
Ikisikpo called for a law that would stipulate that no building should remain uncompleted for more than two years.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (PDP-Enugu), noted that given the sensitive nature of the matter, further debate should be suspended pending the outcome of investigations.
Senator Abubakar Yar’adua (APC-Katsina), however, said it was important for the matter to be discussed because very often, those who should uphold the laws were the ones who allegedly flouted them.
According to Yar’Adua, the war against terrorism is no licence for security operatives to kill innocent people.
Also contributing, Senator Mohammed Ndume (PDP-Borno) cautioned against sentiments but for a dispassionate handling of the issue.
Ndume said it would be preemptive for the Senate to take a decision before the investigation was concluded.
While acknowledging the need for proper training of security operatives, Senator Mohammed Saleh (APC-Kaduna) stressed that the activities of the SSS were supposed to be covert and not overt.
“The SSS must be properly trained, they should have cordoned off the area and not engaged those who were there,” Saleh said.
The Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP-Cross River) emphasised the need for Nigerians to realise that “these are perilous times.”
Ndoma-Egba said there was a need to be patient pending the outcome of investigations.
The Senate President, Senator David Mark, in his ruling on the motion, stressed the need for the Senate to act only after the investigations.
Mark said the issues to clear were whether the incident was terror related, whether there was extra-judicial killing and the procedure used in the operation.
The Senate president stressed the need to keep sentiments aside and work with facts.
The committees were given one week to report back to the Senate due to the sensitive nature of the matter.