January 31, 2010 – The dead body of Najim Nitih, allegedly murdered, was found some 20 meters away from the Philippine Marines detachment at Barangay Magkawa in Al Barka, Basilan last night.

Najim, 28 years old, resident of Magkawa was an innocent civilian and whose livelihood was to drive a passenger motorcycle from Magkawa to Barangay Poblacion in adjacent Tipo-Tipo town, Basilan. He worked abroad for years as overseas contract worker.

According to MILF field reporters, Najim was driving alone a motorcycle at 7pm last night on way to Poblacion Tipo-Tipo to repair a damage water tank, and while passing Sitio Limbo Kassa, Magkwa, which is not far distance from the Marines detachment, he was fired upon. He sustained gunshots that caused his death on the spot.

Relatives who buried Najim late last night believed that the Marines who fired upon and killed the innocent victim.

“After the Marines conducted a humanitarian program at Magkawa last January 28, Thursday, with American soldiers, now the Marines killed an innocent civilian in at Magkawa,” the report stated.

A call was also made to the government and MILF peace panels and ceasefire committees to investigate the killing of Najim.

Relatedly, intervention of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other human rights groups were also sought so much so that justice will be given to the victim and his families.

Local residents and even local officials, who were not identified in the report, despite absence of hard evidence also believed that Najim was fired upon and killed by Marines soldiers at the Detachment.