•Attorney Bruce Fein
A case against the Nigerian Government of President Muhammadu Buhari over the alleged mass killing and torture of unarmed and defenseless pro-Biafra activists peacefully protesting their religious and ethnic persecution as well as other defenseless Igbo-Nigeria citizens going about their legitimate businesses, “is headed for the United States Supreme Court,” US lawyers handling the case said on Sunday.
The Law Firm of Fein & DelValle PLLC had on 4th August 2018 asked the federal district court to reconsider and reverse its prior MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER dismissing a lawsuit to redress the Nigerian Government of President Muhammadu Buhari’s mass killings and torture of unarmed and defenseless pro Biafra activists peacefully protesting their religious and ethnic persecution as well as other defenseless Igbo-Nigeria citizens going about their legitimate businesses. The suit (civil claimant suit) was originally filed on 30th June 2017 pursuant to the US Torture Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of March 1992, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in DOE 1, ET AL. v. TUKUR YUSUF BURATAI, ET AL, Civil Action No. 17-1033 (DLF). The District Judge (Dabney L. Friedrich) refused to reverse herself on 31st October 2018.
“We have filed a notice of appeal of Judge Friedrich’s judgment in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. If necessary, we will appeal all the way to the United States Supreme Court to vindicate the TVPA claims of Nigerians in the Eastern Region that have been murdered or tortured under authority of Nigerian law as it currently exists under the murderous and genocidal regime of President Muhammadu Buhari. Justice will forever defeat tyranny. This lawsuit will strengthen the resolve of the people of Nigeria to defeat the murderous tyrant Buhari,” the Law Firm of Bruce Fein & DelValle said today in a statement issued in Washington DC.
The statement described the verdict of United States District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich in Doe 1 et al. v. Buratai et al. as “the terrifying Halloween interpretation of the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 (TVPA).”
According to the statement, “On October 31, 2018, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s military or security thugs may kill or torture Nigerians in the Eastern Region at his direction with impunity. If there are worse judicial decisions that insult human rights and the rule of law, they do not readily come to mind. It would seem that Judge Friedrich’s decision would immunize Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman from TVPA liability for orchestrating the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Turkey and henceforth any and all other “extrajudicial killing(s)”… “under actual or apparent authority or color of law, of any foreign nation”, notwithstanding the clear and unequivocal language of the TVPA holding otherwise.”
Fein & DelValle stressed its determination to pursue the case to its logical conclusion at the US Supreme Court if the Appeal Court does not render judgement in the favour of its clients.
A case against the Nigerian Government of President Muhammadu Buhari over the alleged mass killing and torture of unarmed and defenseless pro-Biafra activists peacefully protesting their religious and ethnic persecution as well as other defenseless Igbo-Nigeria citizens going about their legitimate businesses, “is headed for the United States Supreme Court,” US lawyers handling the case said on Sunday.
The Law Firm of Fein & DelValle PLLC had on 4th August 2018 asked the federal district court to reconsider and reverse its prior MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER dismissing a lawsuit to redress the Nigerian Government of President Muhammadu Buhari’s mass killings and torture of unarmed and defenseless pro Biafra activists peacefully protesting their religious and ethnic persecution as well as other defenseless Igbo-Nigeria citizens going about their legitimate businesses. The suit (civil claimant suit) was originally filed on 30th June 2017 pursuant to the US Torture Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of March 1992, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in DOE 1, ET AL. v. TUKUR YUSUF BURATAI, ET AL, Civil Action No. 17-1033 (DLF). The District Judge (Dabney L. Friedrich) refused to reverse herself on 31st October 2018.
“We have filed a notice of appeal of Judge Friedrich’s judgment in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. If necessary, we will appeal all the way to the United States Supreme Court to vindicate the TVPA claims of Nigerians in the Eastern Region that have been murdered or tortured under authority of Nigerian law as it currently exists under the murderous and genocidal regime of President Muhammadu Buhari. Justice will forever defeat tyranny. This lawsuit will strengthen the resolve of the people of Nigeria to defeat the murderous tyrant Buhari,” the Law Firm of Bruce Fein & DelValle said today in a statement issued in Washington DC.
The statement described the verdict of United States District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich in Doe 1 et al. v. Buratai et al. as “the terrifying Halloween interpretation of the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 (TVPA).”
According to the statement, “On October 31, 2018, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s military or security thugs may kill or torture Nigerians in the Eastern Region at his direction with impunity. If there are worse judicial decisions that insult human rights and the rule of law, they do not readily come to mind. It would seem that Judge Friedrich’s decision would immunize Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman from TVPA liability for orchestrating the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Turkey and henceforth any and all other “extrajudicial killing(s)”… “under actual or apparent authority or color of law, of any foreign nation”, notwithstanding the clear and unequivocal language of the TVPA holding otherwise.”
Fein & DelValle stressed its determination to pursue the case to its logical conclusion at the US Supreme Court if the Appeal Court does not render judgement in the favour of its clients.
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