Concerned that the hierarchy of the Department of State Services (DSS) has
embarked on deliberate clamp down of vocal Christian leaders opposed to
the incessant killings of farmers all over Nigeria by armed Fulani
terrorists, a Rights group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA
(HURIWA) has raised alarm calling for caution to avoid catastrophic
religious crisis in the Country.
The pro-democracy and Non-Governmental organisation- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has specifically condemned the invitation
for interrogation by the Departmentof State Services of the Edo state born
Pentacosatal leader and founding pastor of Omega Fire ministry Worldwide
Reverend Apostle Johnson Suleiman who has consistently called for self
defence against the unbridled but primitive attacks of Nigerians by well
armed and well coordinated Fulani herdsmen.
HURIWA has totally condemned the unwillingness of security forces in
Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration whose leadership
are majorly dominated by Hausa/Fulani Moslem Northerners who have done
nothing whilst armed Fulani terrorists kill thousands of Christian farmers
all across Nigeria and mostly the Christian dominated Communities in
Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba states. The group wonder why the DSS
does not want Nigerians under attacks by Fulani hoodlums to adopt self
Defence to stay alive even when chapter four of the Nigerian Constitution
of 1999 (as amended) makes RIGHT TO LIFE A SACRED FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN
RIGHT.
HURIWA recalled that the Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide,
Apostle Johnson Suleman, was invited by the Department of State Services
to appear at its National Headquarters in Abuja for interrogation on
Monday January 30th 2017 by 10:00 am. HURIWA has therefore cautioned DSS
to avoid stoking the embers of religious violence in Nigeria.
HURIWA said the invitation is believed to be connected to Suleman’s
alleged inciting comments that Christians should defend themselves against
attacks by Fulani herdsmen even as the group lambasted the DSS for failing
in its constitutional duty of preventing the frequent bloodsheds by armed
Fulani terrorists. HURIWA said what the DSS would have done was for the
Director General to resign forthwith rather than turning his aggression
against the innocent Christian leader who as a father has played the
fatherly role of asking his followers to defend their right to life.
In a statement in reaction to the invitation the civil society group
warned the officials of the DSS to stop painting the graphic impression
that there is a deliberate attempt by the Presidency to Islamize Nigeria
by deploying government’s armed agencies to intimidate, harass and
physically brutalize Christian leaders only because they refuse to keep
silent whilst armed Fulani terrorists kill their members and parents
without the Nigerian security forces ever adopting fool proof strategy
to arrest, prosecute and punish these armed hoodlums who are operating
without let or hindrance.
HURIWA through its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the
National Media Affairs Director Miss. Zainab Yusuf said it amounts to
double standards for the DSS to go after Christian Leaders for speaking
out in defence of their members even when leaders of other Ethno-religious
communities in the core North are not arrested even when there are proven
cases of abduction and false marriages of child brides as has happened in
Katsina Emirate.
“We are shocked that the DSS that couldn’t stop the genocides of Southern
Kaduna, Agatu community in Benue and the attacks of Enugu and Abia states
all by armed Fulani terrorists is now in a dangerous hurry even at the
threat of igniting inter-religious warfare to arrest Christian Leaders
whose only ‘crime’ is to counsel their members not to standby and allow
their lives be taken away by armed marauders.”
“The invitation to Apostle Johnson Suleiman is an invitation to anarchy
and this divide-and-rule tactics of the Alhaji Daura-led DSS hierarchy is
absolutely condemnable, reprehensible, illegal, unconstitutional and
totally unjustifiable. Let all Nigerians of goodwill speak out now before
this current leadership of DSS drag Nigeria into a needless religious
war”.