A pro-democracy Non-governmental Organization- Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has faulted federal government’s stance on herdsmen.
The pro-democracy group accused the government of placing ethnic politics above national security interest in the cases of mass killings by armed Fulani herdsmen.
It also faults retraining programme proposed for repentant terrorists
HURIWA alleged that there is a well-funded campaign by Northern Governors and top Federal Government officials.
It says they seek actively to change the narratives of the real identities of the killer Fulani herdsmen wreaking havoc across Nigeria.
The Rights group said the plot if allowed to continue is capable of creating the impression that there’s grand cover up on the part of the Federal Government.
HURIWA wondered why Mr Heineken Lokpobiri appeared before a Senate Committee yesterday and made sensationally untrue and unverifiable claims.
Mr Lokpobiri is the Minister for Agriculture.
Lokpobiri claimed that the mass killers who are armed Fulani herdsmen are foreigners.
The Rights group said it was an act of sabotage on the part of top political office holders such as:
– Inspector General of Police Mr. Solomon Arase, and now,
– The minister of State for Agriculture Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri.
These claim that the killer Fulani herdsmen were foreigners even when there are overwhelming evidences.
The said evidences are based on documented accounts by leaders of the Fulani herdsmen of Nigeria.
They point to the fact that indeed some of those killings were premeditated acts of revenge for alleged cattle rustlings.
HURIWA stated this in a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf.
They accused the top government officials who are shifting blame to foreigners for the incessant killings of playing to the gallery to please their pay masters who are mostly Fulani by ethnic origin.
HURIWA stated that this attempt to change the narrative to suite the whims and caprices of the powers -that -be amounted to the breach of constitutional oath.
HURIWA cited the seventh schedule of the constitution of the (of 1999) Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The schedule stated that the oath of office sworn to by top government functionaries clearly spells out that:
1. They must discharge their duties in accordance with constitution of Nigeria and the law, and always in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity and wellbeing and prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and,
2. They must not allow their personal interest to influence their official conduct.
HURIWA stated thus: “we are shocked that top government and security officials failed in their constitutional duties to provide security of lives and property of Nigerians which is their primary legal obligations.
“We are even more scandalized that some key political and security officials of this administration are currently engaged in the spreading of propaganda.
“[All] in an attempt to sweep the impunity of the mass killings of Nigerians by fellow Nigerian Fulani herdsmen under the carpet to satisfy the interest of some Northern governors”.
“Why should these officials who operate from their air conditioned offices in Abuja seek to deny the claims by victims of the mass murders across the country especially in Agatu, Benue State, Dogo Nahawa in Plateau State and Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani in Enugu State?
“[These] have firsthand information that those who perpetrated these gruesome acts of mass killings were some armed members of the Fulani herdsmen.
“[They] set up their communities and made themselves the neighbors of the Indigenous owners of those farming communities.
“These attempts at whitewashing the facts surrounding the various acts of mass murders are clear evidences…
“…evidences that the current Federal Government is not willing to go after the real killers with the aim of bringing them to Justice.”
HURIWA has therefore demanded public apologies from the Agriculture minister of state who appeared before a Senate Panel on Agriculture to make unscientific claims that the killer herdsmen were foreigners.
HURIWA recalled that news reports have shown that those who perpetrated the atrocious mass killings in Enugu State did indeed perfected the criminal act in Kogi State.
The Rights group said that a national daily has reported that the KOGI State Police Command now has in its custody one of the suspected herdsmen.
He participated in the recent massacre of more than 48 persons in Nimbo community, Uzo- Uwani local government area of Enugu state.
HURIWA has therefore expressed anxiety that there is a plot to set free the few armed Fulani herdsmen allegedly arrested in the scenes of all these massacres.
It says it’s an attempt just so the well-oiled Federal Government’s cover up can work.
HURIWA lamented the reported retraining by the National Emergency Management Agency [NEMA] of 800 ‘repentant’ Boko Haram terrorists.
It said it would be requesting official account from relevant authority on this controversial report.
This is because it believes that terrorists must face the full wrath of the law and not granted Federal Government’s soft-landing.
Emmanuel Onwubiko
