Boko Haram members may face crimes against humanity – UN

Protesters in Abuja Protesting at the 4th Day of Occupay Nigerian Photo Gbenga Olamikan

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, has warned that members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, who have claimed responsibility for series of bomb attacks in Nigeria leading to loss of lives could be guilty of crimes against humanity if they are judged to have carried out systematic attacks on religious targets.
The UN chief gave the warning as the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor berated governors from the southern part of the country who he said were yet to see the need to make deliberate efforts to engage their northern counterparts on ways to end the killings.
According to the UN statement, “members of Boko Haram and other groups and entities, if judged to have committed widespread or systematic attacks against a civilian population, including on grounds such as religion or ethnicity, could be found guilty of crimes against humanity.

Protesters in Abuja Protesting at the 4th Day of Occupay Nigerian Photo Gbenga Olamikan

Deliberate acts leading to population ‘cleansing’ on grounds of religion or ethnicity would also amount to a crime against humanity,”
The statement added: “It is essential that the country’s leadership, and especially its Muslim and Christian leaders, join forces to unequivocally condemn all violence, including retaliation, and encourage their followers to identify and help arrest all those involved in killings and other acts of violence that have been taking place.”
Meanwhile, Pastor Oritsejafor, who was piqued by the vandalisation of five churches in Gusau, Zamfara State in the guise of oil subsidy protest, said several Nigerian leaders, including the leadership of Labour and civil society coalition, owe this country an explanation for their conspiracy of silence while innocent Nigerians are being killed like animals in the North.
Ebenezer Baptist Church, Chapel of Grace, C and S Church, COCIN Church and CAC, all in Gangaren Yerima area of Gusau, were vandalised while a pastor was molested by people said to be protesting hike in oil prices.
Said he: “I am really ashamed at southern governors whose citizens are daily being mauled down by a group of Islamic fundamentalists who are hell bent on annihilating Christians from the nation without any attempt to engage their northern counterparts on ways to end the madness.
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