…kidnapping of school children must be treated as war crimes
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has condemned the atrocities and violence that have been unleashed on the people who live in Northern Nigeria by sophisticated gangsters that are allegedly armed by Northern elites.
The Right Group in a Statement sent to ElombahNews and signed by its National leader, Emmanuel Onwubiko said the same northern elites that are bankrolling the activities of these terrorists in the North have tried to change the narratives by rebaptizing them to armed bandits instead of calling them by their real name, terrorists.
It further said, the abduction of students in a school in Niger state is just one of those systematic plots that have been hatched by these same northern elites.
“Some of these northern elites sponsoring these boys are holding political offices as governors, Senators, House of Reps in the north and the poor people of the North and other less fortunate citizens who live in the far north are been used as Canon-fodders/bargaining chips. There is an overall game plan by northern elites to blackmail the rest of Nigerians so the federal government can broach the idea to set up amnesty programme for northern terrorists in which case humongous public funds can be siphoned by northern elites to satisfy their apparently insatiable appetite for free cash.”
“We want to ask the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Major General Muhammadu Buhari, why did the government not investigate the intelligence that was given by the former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Dr. Obadiah Mailafia about the sponsorship of terrorists in the north linking some governors or a governor?”
“Why was Dr. Obadiah Mailafia harassed, humiliated, intimidated and cajoled by the security forces and most of these heads of security forces are northern Muslims? is there something they are hiding from the rest of us in Nigeria? How come that virtually 85% or 90% of the heads of security forces are northern Muslims and yet the north has been destabilized? What is their agenda? The heads of DSS, Police, Immigration, NIA and Customs, these are key hierarchies of the security forces in Nigeria and they are all Muslim northerners.”
HURIWA further wondered the role of National Security when the entire country is on the verge of collapse.
“What is the role of National Security adviser? What is the quality of the security advice he gives to the President so much so that the whole country is about to be destabilized?. This is because if someone offers advice for five years and yet the reason for his engagement (insecurity to be resolved) is getting worst, Why is he still doing there in public office and being funded?, why not sack him, if all the former service Chiefs voluntary retired what is the security adviser still doing there? Is the commander-in-chief still in charge or has he abdicated his duties to protect Nigerians which section 14(2) (b) listed in the Constitution as his primary duty and responsibility of government?”
“Why is the National Assembly made up of onlookers who have abdicated their legislative oversight powers to compel the President who has failed to protect Nigerians and within a year 2020, over 8,279 Citizens have been killed by TERRORISTS to do the needful with a definite timeline issued to Mr. President and yet governors who swore oaths of office and clutching their Holy scriptures and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to uphold the Constitution will go right back against constitutional norms to bribe and negotiate with terrorists and will insult our intellect and national psyche by sermionizing that government should negotiate with terrorists?”
Recalled that armed men have attacked Government Science College Kagara in Rafi Local government area of Niger State. At least one student is feared killed, and several other students abducted. The teachers and their family members residing within the College Staff Quarters were also said to have been abducted by the gunmen.
A government source who pleaded anonymity disclosed this to the media via telephone conversation in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to the source, the attackers were said to have stormed Government Science College Kagara at about 2:00 am on Wednesday and started shooting sporadically. In the process, a student was killed while some others sustained gunshots.
Some staff of the College and their families were also abducted from their homes during the attack. The source could not, however, give the number of persons abducted and those injured as at the time of filing the repor
The source further added that the gunmen were dressed in the same school uniform used by the students, disguising to be members of the school.
The latest attack comes barely three days after gunmen attacked a bus belonging to the Niger State Transport Authority (NSTA) along Minna-Zungeru road and abducted at least 21 passengers.
The state governor, Abubakar Bello had condemned the abduction, promising to secure the release of the passengers.
On Tuesday, a statement from the office of the Commissioner of Information in the state, Mohammed Idris said ten persons had been freed from the hands of the bandits.
The information commissioner further claimed that ransom was not paid to secure their release.
HURIWA has therefore charged the National Assembly to act swiftly and uncover those elites who are funding the war of the north against the north which is fast spreading to the South.
