Justice Ani asked the state government to set up a judicial commission of inquiry as provided under the Enugu State Commission of Inquiry Law, Laws of Enugu State 2004.
Justice C.C. Ani of the Enugu High Court has ordered the State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to set up a judicial commission of inquiry to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing of unarmed Igbo youths in the state by security operatives.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Police Force had on August 23, 2020 opened fire on unarmed youths who were having physical training exercise in Emene and massacred them in cold blood.
SaharaReporters gathered that the unarmed youngsters were busy with their routine morning exercise at the playground of a community secondary school when the heavily armed security agents suddenly appeared and opened fire on them.
While the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) said 22 of its members lost their lives in the incident, with many others seriously injured, the police authorities claimed only four persons were killed, with five others in their custody.
Delivering a judgement on Wednesday in a suit filed by Registered Trustees of Christian Network and Community Development, Justice Ani asked the state government to set up a judicial commission of inquiry as provided under the Enugu State Commission of Inquiry Law, Laws of Enugu State 2004, to ascertain the immediate and remote cause(s) of the event.
He added that the commission will also recommend appropriate sanctions to be meted out to persons identified to be related with the massacre and proffer how to prevent future occurrence in the state.
"Honourable Justice C.C. Ani PhD of Enugu High Court 6, gave a well-considered and lenghty judgment in Suit No. E/569M/2020 REGISTERED TRUSTEES OF CHRIRTIAN NETWORK AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & ANOR. V. GOVERNOR OF ENUGU STATE & ANOR., today being 29/9/20 and held that the applicants' case had merit, and as a result ordered as follows: 'That the 1st respondent is hereby ordered to institute a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to unravel the cause(s) of unlawful and illegal killing of 22 unarmed youths at Emene, Enugu, Enugu State, on 23 August 2020,'" a source told SaharaReporters.