Petition: Investigate Pres. Obasanjo For 1999 Odi Massacre – Nigerians For Justice
August 11th, 212
NewsRescue– Nigerians seeking justice have launched a call requesting the investigation of a two time past president of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo, for “crimes against civilians”.
The petition sent to us from their page on Change.org levies very serious attack against the former president, Obasanjo in the deaths of over 2000 citizens of the Odi town in Bayelsa state Nigeria, native state of the present President of the country, Goodluck Jonathan.
According to that event, after a fracas, during which Odi youth reportedly killed 7 investigative police sent to the community, the then president of Nigeria in the typical behavior of brutal African regimes, ordered the extermination of the entire town, even before a two week ultimatum for the governor to produce the culprits had expired.
In 2008 Nigeria’s Abuja Magistrate court ordered Inspector of police, Mike Okiro to investigate Obasanjo for the Odi, Bayelsa State and Zaki Biam, Benue State killings which occured between 1999 and 2001. But this was apparently never done. Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200805160323.html
Citizens are now seriously raising this call. You can click on this link to see the petition:
Details of the petition are below:
Nigerians For Justice: Investigate Pres. Obasanjo For 1999 Odi Massacre: Sign The Petition To Try Obasanjo in Local and International Court
On November 20th, 1999 the Nigerian government of General Olusegun Obasanjo was reported to have launched an attack against the 60,000 inhabitants of Odi community in Bayelsa state, Niger Delta oil explored region of Nigeria. 2000 troops in 27 five ton vehicles, four APC’s, three 81 mm mortar guns, two 105mm Howitzer’s, were used to shell the unarmed citizens of Odi town. It was described as one of the most horrendous atrocities in human history as 2,483 people including men, women and children lay dead and the entire town, burnt and deserted, people, livestock and livelihood. An entire people was punished by a brutal regime for the acts of a few criminals, as some see it, in an unthinkable, genocidal establishment of ‘order’ via intimidation in protection of big oil interests.
From Pointblank news: “…It was also an operation clearly aimed at protecting crude oil interests. T.Y Danjuma makes it clear: “This Operation Hakuri II was initiated with the mandate of protecting lives and property – particularly oil platforms flow stations, operating rig terminals and pipelines refineries and power installation in the Niger Delta.” Thus in the process of protecting crude oil interests, the first aim which was to protect lives and property was jettisoned….”
Since the episode in 1999, several calls have been made for an investigation into the excesses, as the president referred to it, of the Nigerian army under directive of himself, president of the Federal republic and commander in-chief of the armed forces, Obasanjo, and tears have been shed and songs have been sang, however the president is yet to be tried for the reported crimes against humanity.
But it is time. The ‘blanket of silence’ will now be raised, Nigerians with our friends of justice around the world, refuse to be objects without rights and recourse. The living will fight for justice for the dead, as the justice we seek now, will serve as a reference point and turning stone for the actions of the leaders of the future. Your signature, your action, your spreading this message brings the world a step closer to order, decency, purity and sanity. Who will fight for us if we don’t fight for them? Obasanjo can and will be brought to court.
Read about the massacre: http://www.eraction.org/publications/silence.pdf
Famous Nigerian singer, Timaya sings about the Bayelsa, Odi Massacre
The following images are from an expansive document, an environmentalist groups account of the incident at Odi:
A Blanket of Silence: Images Of The Odi Genocide
Published in 2002 by Environmental Rights Action (ERA); friends Of The Earth, Nigeria
Link: http://www.eraction.org/publications/silence.pdf
Ammo shells
You can click on this link to see the petition:
Try who? I hate Obasanjo personal for many things, but for the case of Odi the people of Odi deserve that treat when they killed army and police what do they expect in return. If Jonathan can ordered army and police to re-act in the north i am sure by now the issue of Boko Haram could have been the issue of the past. Let every tribe abide with Nigeria law.
Every decent nation kills the perpetrators, not the entire community. You don’t send the army to wipe out Borno because of Boko, just as you do not wipe put Odi because of a few militant criminals.
Obasanjo took a decisive action and the attrocities in Odi stopped. His formal letter to the Governor tells it all. Try him for that, and Jonathan will be tried later for his indecisive action that caused the kiliings of thousands of christians in their churches, and more killings are still going on.
Some time when we ar making comment on the National issues like this we should reason like a Natinalist Obasanjo can never ordered solders to go and kill in Odi without no reason. If President Jonathan acted this way at the beginning of B/H activities I believe we won’t be in this mess. Any day any time Obasanjo in a Nationalist take it or leave it
You supporters of Obasanjo’s genocide in Odi are all right in exercising you right to speak out, because, in every act, the actor must advance reason(s) and people are there to give their support. Adolph Hitler had his reasons and support for his ordering the extermination of European Jews. Charles Taylor had his reasons and support too in his atrocities in Sierra Leone. The same with Saddam Hussein of Iraq for his genocide against the Kurds. Even recent events in Egypt where Ex-President Hosni Bubarak is serving a jail term. Watch out also on what will ultimately come out of the killings in Syria. Judgement must take its course based on sound logic, and not on irrational reason(s), such that genocide must be committed for the action of a few criminals.
THAT’SJUST THE LANGUAGE NIGERIA UNDER STAND’S. HOW I WISH THESE SO CALLED BOKO HARAM STARTED THEM, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HISTORY BY NOW…THOSE POLICEMEN THAT WERE KILLED HAD FAMILIES TOO.
The reason anyone could open his mouth to utter words without thoughts is unknown. But one thing is sure, If they were one of the thousands that lost everything they have plus their lives in the massacre, they would have lost your “loose” tongue and wouldn’t have been able to run their mouth anyhow.
One thing I know for sure is that – No “sane” president of a country should order a total grounding of a civilian neighbourhood for “any” reason. That singular act shows how much Obasanjo cared for his countrymen in General.
How I wish Nigeria has spent time building and investing in strong institutions rather then few strong men….. What has happened in Nigeria may not catch up on its perpetrators but their kids and siblings will pay dearly when the NEW HORIZON eventually berths…… the time is ticking……….
Boko Haram has been there for long if not for that action , they would have started earlier. So let us face the fact and respect the law of the Nation, no one is above the law, So ask yourself if you were the sons/daughters of those Uniform men killed.
Dont mess with the wrong person, how can you natives of Odi kill police Officers and expects the President to applause you?
So because of the death of a police officer the study president had the right to do what he did .. you most be a bastard.
the justice u want is a good fight.but if you can bring back the lost lives of the police and military men that were killed.the chiefs,community leaders,political representatives were all there and lost control before federal might.
EASY TO SAY OBJ COMMITED CRIME BUT THEY FORGOT MILITARY PERSONEL AND INNOCENT POLICE WERE AMBUSHED AND KILLED
EASY TO SAY OBJ COMMITED CRIME BUT THEY FORGOT MILITARY PERSONEL AND INNOCENT POLICE WERE AMBUSHED AND KILLED
what happened in Zaki Biam is more than what happened in odi but nobody is talking about it . is it because Zaki Biam does not have oil or what?
Ex-President Obasanjo is not alone in the crime against humanity regarding genocide in Odi, Bayelsa State of Nigeria, the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan. The like of Dr. Doyin Okupe, now special adviser to president Goodluck Jonathan, supported the genocide when he played Obasanjo’s ‘Joseph Geobels’. He defended the genocide against the people of Odi, the kinsmen of president Jonathan he is now serving; a thing a man with conscience would not do. This is the reason it is repugnant that president Goodluck Jonathan should have such a man as Dr. Doyin Okupe, in his cabinet. I keep asking: What if Dr. Goodluck Jonathan happened to be in that location at the time of the attack, and got killed, how would Doyin Okupe be rehabilitated by President Jonathan now? Okupe should resign or the president should fire him.
http://incomepart.com/ref.php?page=act/ref&invcod=307189
well how i wish we have a good president,this is the time the socalled evilman obasanjo should be move over to icc ,
YES YES YES !!! try that military bastard called obasanjo ….a man that all he did was to experiment with Nigeria…..i hate him with a passion …..Long live Fela Baba 70
IT IS A LAMENTABLE TENDENCY OF SOME NIGERIANS, THAT ONLY THE NEGATIVES RECEIVES THE LOUDEST NOTICES WHILE OVATION REMAIN MUTED ON SEVERAL POSSITIVE ATTAINMENTS. EVEN WHERE THE PROOF OF EXCELLENCE IS UNDENIABLE, IT IS USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY NOTIONS THAT SAME STANDARD IS ILL MOTIVATED…OBASANJO CAN NEVER BE TRIED, WHY WHY AND WHY——- BECAUSE HE ACTED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE NIGER DELTANS…..IF THAT ACTION HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN, MORE THAN HALF OF THE NIGER DELTANS WOULD HAVE CAUSED A CONFLICT THAT WOULD HAVE CLAIM LIVES LIKE WATER……WHEN NIGERIA WAS SURVIVING WITH COLA NUT, GROUNDNUT AND COCOA,, NO ONE ASKED FOR THE HEAD OF ANOTHER.. YOUR GREEDINESS TODAY DETERMINES WHAT EVIL YOU WANT TO COMMIT TOMORROW……..LET US LEARN TO SHARE WHAT WE THINK WE HAVE…..MILITARY OFFICERS SENT ON AN ERRAND OF PEACE LOST THEIR LIVES, AND THESE PEOPLE HAS FAMILIES…..DON’T THINK OF THAT TRIAL… IF OUR WONDERFUL BROTHER JONATHAN GOODLUCK HAS REACTED LIKEWISE ON THE ISSUE OF BOKO HARAM, MOST OF OUR BROTHERS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ROASTED LIKE RATS IN THE NORTH……. LET US STAY WHERE WE ARE AND NOT ADD SALT TO INJURIES.
how i wish Nigeria ever have justice 2 their case but too bad not when curt ll adjoin hearing till eternity
In as much as individuals are entittled to their opinions, they should be rational and within the context of patrotism not ethnocentric with caps of sentiments. First and foremost, most people that are calling for OBJ’s trial, do they understand the constitutional responsibilities of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria under circumstance in question? Next is, read OBJ’s self explanatory letter to HE Alameiseigha, that was right step towards right direction,OBJ took things step by step with good intelligence report, expected of any good President, until he declared a state of emmergency in Odi. Another thing, who can say if Barrack Obama will spare any US communittee for slaughtering a single Uniform personnel, no way, that communittee will definately have to pay for it. Finally, OBJ acted under powers confered on him by the constitution after due consultation with the security council which the Gov of Bayelsa was a member, OBJ has a thorough knowlege of Nijas constitution, let us not do what will bring further shame and disgrace to our people. We should concentrate on how to rebuild Odi and advise our people to be more law abiding.
I always hated obasanjo for his atrocities, bt i hailed him for his judgement in Odi community,…bcos dat is d only language those cruel militants can understand… how can they be so cruel to the extent of killing a military personnel, nt even one, but many of them? that is d only purnishment they deserve…and d judgement worked out perfectly becos no case had been filed again on Odi since after d wipe out. And those of u making comments about maiduguri to be wiped out too, maiduguri is just like a birth place of boko haram, bt as at now, they are all over the country, so if Gudluck is to wipe them out too just like dat of Odi, i think he wuld have to wipe the whole country to bring PEACE…
o my people of bayelsa state, lets stand and fight for our people
he Can never go scot free even if it is 10 years and he is 90 yrs. He must taste that prison. A murderer.
I think that the best thing 4 us now nigerians is to forget d ugly past look 4 a way 4 move nigeria 2 d promise land
d best way 2 correct d past is 4get it and move 4forward nigerians.
With time his family will pay for it…………………….They will continue to be rich, but Obasanjo ….will have no peace…..Big man big problems.