Ajibola Blasts Human Rights Watch

Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, investigating the Jos sectarian violence of November, 28, last year Prince Bola Ajibola has condemned a memo presented by an international non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Watch describing it as lopsided.

The report was presented by the organisation Research officer in the country.

Meanwhile, Barrister Charles Obisanya, the Commission’s lead counsel has insisted that the Research Officer, and a lawyer, Mr. Eric Ctuttschuss procured. “You were procured to do what you did”, the counsel maintained. The researcher, who told the commission he is an American, had, while presenting his memo No. JCI/J/47/2009, insisted that the Hausa-Fulani in the state were discriminated against, leading to the riots.

Besides, he alleged that over 118 persons were “arbitrarily” killed by soldiers and police in Jos. Subjected to rigorous cross-examination Ctuttschuss exhibited inconsistencies in his responses to the questions put to him.

Though, he explained that he was not in Jos during the violence, but he said 118 people were extra-judiciously executed by soldiers and police. He however, added that he got his information from people he interviewed, most of them Muslims. The research officer, who mainly gathered his information from Hausa-Fulani Moslems, stated that 73 Moslem youths were killed outside Fatima Cathedral, Jos, by soldiers.

In a sharp contradiction, he stated that some persons may have impersonated soldiers and police, to commit the havoc.

According to him, the cause of almost all crises in the country, stemmed from discrimination against non-indigenes.

The audience was stunned when Ctuttschuss alleged that it was only the Hausa-Fulani dominated grain market in Katako that was destroyed. This statement caused a high degree of murmuring among the audience.

The plank section of the market was gutted by fire, while a second generation bank near the section was to be gutted, but for intervention of some people.

The Chairman, who could not hide his feelings, told the witness. “You have not done a forensic work.