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A prominent Civil rights group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF
NIGERIA (HURIWA) has blamed federal government’s deliberate refusal to
arrest, prosecute and punish sponsors, of armed Fulani terrorism for the
ongoing blood bath in parts of Plateau state.
HURIWA said from all indications some highly placed officials in the
current administration including the minister of Defence have already
taken sides and may have decided not to take any measure to bring the
armed Fulani herdsmen to book due to Ethno-religious considerations which
runs contrary to the tenets, letters and spirits of the Constitution just
as the group asks the presidency to stop shedding crocodile tears each
time armed Fulani herdsmen slaughter unarmed Nigerians in the hundreds.
“We have consistently called on President Muhammadu Buhari who ought to
behave like the father of the nation for the duration of his four year
tenure but we have called on him in the last three years to declare
Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association a terrorist group and to round up
and prosecute the top officials of this body who had in the past granted
media interviews threatening to stop the implementation of the anti-open
grazing law just as the plateau and Kaduna states’ branches had threatened
to go after alleged cattle rustlers in parts of plateau and Southern
Kaduna shortly before each of the deadly attacks had happened but our
calls have fallen on deaf ears and indeed our national coordinator had
instead come under direct threats twice by a powerful serving military
General holding a strategic command position questioning why our group has
consistently condemned the armed Fulani terrorism. Our lives are now under
severe threats for speaking out to condemn the bloodcuddling attacks by
armed Fulani herdsmen.”
“But rather than respect the constitutional oath of office he subscribed
to and employ decisive legal based mechanisms to tackle the killings
President Buhari had chosen to always issue dry press statements mourning
the victims even as his Defence Minister had on many occasions blamed
Benue, Taraba for the attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen because of the
anti-open grazing law. On his own part the minister of interior whose
officials have failed to stop the proliferation of sophisticated weapons
used by armed Fulani herdsmen has stayed put in office and has refused to
behave like a gentleman and quit honourably so Nigeria can have an
effective Interior security minister.”
In a statement to the media, HURIWA’s National Coordinator Comrade
Emmanuel Onwubiko said the one hundred percent blame for the spate of
attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen falls squarely on the desk of the
Commander-in-chief of Nigerian Armed Forces who has retained all the
security chiefs who are of Fulani/Hausa Moslem affiliations just like the
alleged perpetrators of the armed Fulani terror attacks in direct breach
of the Federal Character Principles and indeed the ease with which armed
Fulani herdsmen operate freely, killing, maiming and destroying Nigerian
farmers in the North of Christian origin shows that there is a serious
decision at the top not to take action against the killings.”
“Nigerians must understand that the solution to these spate of killings
rests squarely with President Muhammadu Buhari who has all the
constitutional powers to decisively crush the sponsors and attackers who
are not ghosts but are linked to Miyetti Allah because of the numerous
threats this group had issued in the media before attacks are carried out
but the President prefers to issue tepid press statements and after which
another spate of organised killings by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen
take place. ”
“By his constitutional oath, Mr. President ought not to pamper or tolerate
Miyetti Allah even if the officials and members share same religious and
ethnic background unless the current government is bent on scuttling
constitutional democracy.”
“We totally condemn the spate of killings in parts of Plateau state and
other parts of Nigeria masterminded by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen. We
totally reject the press statement by President Buhari reportedly
regretting the killings when he has the power to declare the killers as
terrorists but the government is currently planning to spend N170 Billion
of tax payers’ money to seize/confiscate ancestral lands of Nigerians for
the purposes of erecting ranches for private Fulani owners of cows. This
is totally illegal and unconstitutional.”
“How can this government be so insensitive and irresponsible to carry on
with a jamboree of the political party in power at the center in the name
of a charade called national convention with 5,000 armed policemen
guarding less than 2,000 people but over 100 innocent children, women and
old men were killed same time by armed Fulani herdsmen ?.”
HURIWA also condemned the National Assembly for engaging in empty
political rhetorics/talks each time armed Fulani terror gangs kill
Nigerians instead of exercising their constitutional power of impeachment
of the president for failing in his primary constitutional duty which is
to protect lives and property of Nigerians.
“Nigerians must speak out and hold sustained public protests and civil
disobedient actions in absolute condemnation of these selective genocides
now before armed Fulani herdsmen take their killings to other parts of
Nigeria.”