Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Wednesday, urged the National Judicial Council and the Code of Conduct Tribunal to swing into action and probe the corruption allegations levelled against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, by 14 serving justices of the Supreme Court. HURIWA said the CJN should step down as Chairman of the NJC for the purposes of this investigation.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, noted that failure of the NJC and the CCT to investigate the graft allegations levelled against Muhammad, is tantamount to injustice considering the fact that his predecessor, Walter Onnoghen, was removed on a controversial note following some allegations against him which was probed by both the NJC and the CCT.
Recall that the 14 Supreme Court justices recently protested their welfare and asked the CJN whether their funds had been diverted.
In a petition to Muhammad, the justices said, “In the past, justices were nominated to attend two to three foreign workshops or training per annum with accompanying persons for reasons of age. Since your Lordship’s assumption of office, Justices only attend two workshops in Dubai and Zanzibar. They were not accorded the privilege of travelling with accompanying persons as was the practice.
“Your Lordship totally ignored this demand and yet travelled with your spouse, children, and personal staff. We demand to know what has become our training funds, have they been diverted, or it’s a plain denial.
“Your lordship may also remember that the national assembly has increased the budgetary allocation of the Judiciary. We find it strange that in spite of the upward review of our budgetary allocation, the Court cannot cater for our legitimate entitlements. This is unacceptable!”
Though Muhammad through his media aide had offered defence against the allegations, HURIWA demanded that the NJC and the CCT step in and probe the CJN for such weighty allegations. HURIWA said the intervention of Body Of Benchers to mend the broken fences between the Justices and the CJN is not acceptable but it’s as good as treating serious issues of breach of the law as a family affair. The Rights group said Nigeria have law enforcement agencies that statutorily investigate alleged crimes but seeking tk cover it up in the name of negotiating truce is primitive and crooked.
HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The NJC, the CCT and the National must swiftly probe the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad. The corruption allegations levelled against him are too weighty to be ignored considering the fact that these are allegations from Supreme Court justices.
“The matter should not be left for the Muhammad to resolve as he can’t be a judge in his own case since he is being accused of corruption. It is a big disappointment if those allegations are validated because of the fact that people who should uphold the law are not to break it with impunity. But of course these are all mere allegations but merit thorough independent investigation.
“HURIWA calls on the NJC, the CCT, the National Assembly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to probe Muhammad just as they all investigated his predecessor, Walter Onnoghen. This is what justice and equity means. There must be no sacred cows.”
June 22, 2022
Emmanuel Onwubiko
National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).
Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Monday, urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, over his alleged ownership of two-year-old Titan Trust Bank which recently acquired 104-year-old Union Bank.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, stressed that the anti-graft agency must prosecute Emefiele should he be found culpable of the allegation levelled against it by an online newspaper, ENigeria Newspaper.
The group noted that Emefiele would have acted in contrary to Sections 9 and 11 of the CBN ACT 2007 that stated expressly that the apex governor must cease to be in office if he fails to devote his entire time to his duty.
Recall that Titan Trust Bank Limited, a subsidiary of TGI Group, which started operations in October 2019, recently acquired 104-year-old Union Bank, becoming one of the most remarkable acquisitions in the Nigerian Banking space after STB acquired UBA in the landmark 2005 deal.
Titan Trust Bank subsequently raised $300 million from Afreximbank to fund Union Bank takeover. Union Bank reportedly had a total asset value of $4.9 billion as of December 2021.
But ENigeria Newspaper reported that the fact that Titan Trust Bank’s National Banking License is the first National Banking License that the CBN has granted in over a decade since the CBN enacted the N25bn capitalisation funds directive for national banks in Nigeria warrant investigation.
The publication further alleged that there were indications that Emefiele is one of the shareholders of Titan Trust Bank. This line of affiliation by this newspaper is not however the view of HURIWA which is why we are asking that EFCC should investigate the allegation and take action.
Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The allegation of ownership of Titan Trust Bank levelled against CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, should not be swept under the carpet because it is a heavy allegation given the many unethical moves of the apex bank governor in recent times including his alleged attempt to contest the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress.
“Expressly, Section 9 of the CBN Act 2007 states thus: ‘The Governor and the Deputy Governors shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the Bank and while holding office shall not engage in any full or part-time employment or vocation whether remunerated or not except such personal or charitable causes as may be determined by the Board and which do not detract from their full-time duties’.
“Also, Section 11 of the same Act states thus: ‘A person shall not remain a Governor, Deputy Governor or Director of the Bank if he is a member of any Federal or State legislative house; or if he is a Director, officer or employee of any bank licensed under the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act’.
“HURIWA calls for the arrest of the CBN governor by EFCC if the story is true after a quick investigation by EFCC because this violates the terms of his engagements in addition to his earlier breach by getting involved in politics despite CBN Act that bans that.
“Should the CBN governor be found to be the owner of the bank, then he should be sacked, arrested and prosecuted for such unethical action. HURIWA however doubts if EFCC can be as swift as it normally does when students are fingers in ‘small small yahooyahoo crimes’ since this allegation of ownership of a multimillion dollars business concern is allegedly linked to one of the dreaded wealthy citizens in Nigeria. HURIWA is therefore tasking EFCC to show that it can also bark and bite big men who are regarded as ‘sacred cows’.
“Also, the EFCC needs to address Nigerians on the allegations against the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and give us update because of insinuations that cases involving government officials are swept under the carpets.” HURIWA similarly applauded EFCC for achieving some unprecedented legal victories against some crooks across Nigeria.
June 20, 2022
Emmanuel Onwubiko
National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).
I woke up on the 5th of June to see “Owo” trending on Twitter, thinking maybe the governor of the state Rotimi Akeredolu had done something a typical Nigerian government official would do, which would not surprise me, and, to which I didn’t care to take a look at. I found the real story after going through my WhatsApp status updates from contacts. Indeed, it was a horror, the pictures that confronted me.
Two days later, I found out that, three hours after the Owo attack, something worse happened in one of our villages in Southern Kaduna. The military shot at unarmed villages that were under Fulani militia’s attack and secured the militia.
THE JOURNEY
As is the norm with me, some stories strike more than just a chord. Some things should not happen in a democratic society, and even if not so, the 21st century should present us with better opportunities for conflict resolution.
I left Abuja a couple of minutes to 7 PM after the day’s tasks have been completed and headed to Kaduna. One notable thing on the road that night was an accident with survivors in it, but no one dared stop to help them, because of the fear of kidnappers and the elements of destabilization in that death trap called Abuja-Kaduna Express Way. Even my soul felt pity for those trapped in that vehicle.
Minutes later would be our turn. We were two in the vehicle when at 9:45 PM, we had a flat tyre that left us stranded on that road for an hour. I got to Kaduna minutes past 11 PM, crashed at a friend’s place, and continued my journey to the destination where a Nigerian Military helicopter was said to have shot and killed people.
KADUNA-CROSSING-MAIKORI VILLAGE
At first, I thought the attack happened somewhere close to Kaduna city, and at most, somewhere around Kajuru which is about 60KM from the city. Wrong!
First, my guide told me he was not in the village where the attack happened any longer. He had moved on to be with the IDPs in Kaduna and asked me to contact another survivor who would lead me to the village. The second guide was in Kachia, and had to take a cab to Crossing where we met.
“Oga Sir, are we leaving the car here?” he asked.
“No! Why should we leave it here bro?” I inquired.
“It is because the road is not good and the place is far…”
We would go on to travel in the car for convenience, but the motorable road came to an end at Maro which is about 25KM at least, from Crossing. We crossed into Ugakala, drove past quite a number of settlements for almost an hour, and decided to park at Chibiya village when our guide noticed how difficult it was navigating such a jungle. He pleaded with his kinsmen he met on bikes, borrowed their bikes, and rode on one with the cameraman while I and one passenger of the other bike rode on the other for another 30 minutes till we got to Maikori village.
HOW THE ATTACKS HAPPENED
A Sunday is a resting day for these agrarian communities. After Sunday service, it is a well-known fact that Southern Kaduna Christian communities see Sunday as a holiday where you don’t have to work or toil for anything. It is mostly all about going to Church, fellowship, coming back home, resting, or going to the village markets to relax and, or catch up with old friends and families.
According to one of the eye witnesses from Maikori Village,
“We were resting under a tree when we heard gunshots from Ungwan Sarki. We immediately mobilized to know what was happening and were told Fulani men had attacked the village. In the process of mobilizing ourselves to go help our brothers, we saw an influx of men on motorbikes. There were over 100 motorbikes carrying two people each, at least!”
Eyewitness
Another eyewitness said,
“They came in their large numbers. They were many, with sophisticated weapons and we were ready to confront them. It is our village. It is our streams and rivers. It is our farms. It is our bushes. Even though they used to graze here, they don’t know these places better than we do. So we were strategizing on how to defend ourselves when all of a sudden a helicopter came and started to shoot at us, while the attackers were left to burn our houses!”
Eyewitness
Mass grave of the victims
An elderly woman in her 70s said, “We thought the helicopter was there to help us but it was not. It opened fire on us as we ran. We were running and hiding under shrubs. If this were to be a dry season, the casualty figure would have been worse than this.
“Up till now, we don’t stay in our houses anymore. We are here because we are hungry. We stay in the bushes and not in the houses. We just came to get some corn to grind and then go back to the bushes where we are hiding. We fear they would come back.”
70 years old survivor
Multiple eyewitnesses confirmed the helicopter chased them into the bushes, shelled them, and left the terrorists to loot their barns and burn any structure they could. This operation that lasted for two hours had two people killed and one injured. Maniya Inuwa was killed by the terrorists, while Titus Yusuf was shot and killed by the helicopter. Shadrach Joshua was also shot by the helicopter.
A white Rooivalk Mk1 attack helicopter for illustration purpose. Credit: Australian aviation
Every effort to see Joshua was not successful, but luckily, he called me on the phone past 8PM just as I had arrived in Abuja. Apparently, Joshua woke up that morning, was taken to the hospital for treatment, and later hidden in the bush perhaps the Fulanis come back to re-attack the village again.
The attack on Ungwan Sarki claimed two lives, at Maikori two lives and one injury from the helicopter’s shelling, and thirty four lives at Dogo Noma.
ECWA Church Maikori after the attack
The people at Dogo Noma were in a market square having a good time when two men arrived on bikes, surveyed the environment, and left. Minutes later, they were rounded up in the market. Those who tried to escape were shot down while quite a number of them were captured numbering twenty-nine. To date, others cannot be accounted for.
KADUNA STATE GOVERNMENT’S ACCOUNT
The Kaduna state government had kept mum for four (4) days since the Sunday, 5th of June’s attack in Dogon Noma, Maikori, and Ungwan Sarki communities. The government only decided to speak when it became obvious that Southern Karuna was trending on Twitter and other social media platforms. The helicopter story was also spreading like wildfire.
The government speaking through its Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan acknowledged that there was an attack on Sunday 5th June but didn’t explain why it took her four days to comment. The government took time to mention the names of the victims killed during the attack but denied that the helicopter shot at the villagers. It said the helicopter belongs to the Nigerian air force and was on the ground to engage the terrorists.
What the state government has not been able to show to the world is proof that terrorists were killed by the so-called military helicopter. It is baffling to say that a military attack helicopter was on the ground to repel terrorists yet not a single terrorist was killed.
A destroyed vehicle at Maikori
This is not the first time victims of Fulani terrorist attacks are alleging sighting helicopters during attacks. In 2018, communities in the same Kajuru local government area of Kaduna state narrated how they sighted a white-painted helicopter landing in the bushes near them prior to the attacks. There was a video to that effect, where community members narrated their ordeals in the hands of the terrorists.
In June 2020, a captured terrorist confessed during interrogation in a viral video that a certain white painted helicopter was supplying them with weapons for operations.
In February 2022 a certain helicopter flying at low level shot a teenage boy in Kagoro, a community near Kafanchan, the boy survived with an injured arm.
The onion of proof that the terrorists are not in possession of air assets lies in the Nigerian Air Force. The Air Force must as a matter of urgency clear the air with satisfactory evidence otherwise the testimony of victims and survivors will continue to shape public discussions on terrorist attacks in Nigeria as it has never been heard that terrorists used planes or helicopters to visit their victims.
Two weeks before the Sunday 5th June attack, a retired senior intelligence officer had told MBT in confidence about the presence of a certain white painted helicopter which he said was suspicious and that it might be used for nefarious activities.
He said the white chopper is often seen landing at the Air Force Base in Kaduna. Even though he could not tell much about the ownership of the chopper, he said going by its flight nature and timing, he suspects the chopper was being used to either provide cover or facilitate the operations of terrorists or used to kill targeted people in the state.
With the statement earlier released by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan crediting the Nigerian Air Force Base with the helicopter being a rescue helicopter, it is left for them to verify who was the pilot of the helicopter, who gave the command for the helicopter to go to the rescue of the people which ended up killing one person and injuring another person and also providing cover for ground terrorists to kill and burn down houses.
Also, every helicopter has a visible number for easy identification, but this specific helicopter which is white in color does not fly close to the ground as would do other military helicopters. In Zangon Kataf for instance, the presence of the same white helicopter signals that an attack is imminent. This can be confirmed by residents of the local government which leaves us with no option but to request the Nigeria Air Force Base to do a proper investigation to identify this helicopter and its owner.
If the Nigerian Air Force Base cannot investigate, then we call on the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology to do due diligence. Both NAF-Base and NCAT are in Kaduna and are supposed to be privy to information on any flight within the territory in question!
RECOVERED HIGH CALIBRE AMMUNITIONSFROM TERROR SCENE
Middle Belt Times correspondent came in contact with some high calibre ammunitions recovered from the scene of the attack by the villagers. The sizes and shapes of the ammunition look different from the conventional AK-47 bullet shells usually found after attacks in southern Kaduna and elsewhere. These ammunitions look bigger than normal.
High calibre ammunition recovered from Maikori community
Middle Belt Times reached out to a retired senior Air Force officer who agreed to share his views on the matter on condition of strict anonymity. When he sighted a photograph of one of the ammunitions recovered from the attack site, he said the bullets are either 30 or 50mm calibre round mostly fired by machine guns mounted on attack aircrafts. Speaking on the yet to be identified attck helicopter alleged to be providing cover for terrorists, the retired Air Commodore said the government could deny such allegations as long as no clear evidence to hold onto.
The government could deny the helicopter because there are many around. Even the Nigerian Air Force has had some close incidents with unknown aircrafts. What would be overwhelming is the aircraft shot down else anything you put out can be denied.
Retired Air Force officer.
He went further to state that such ammunitions have no business in a rural community not at war.
Such high calibre weapons do not have any business in Kajuru except if the terrorists were also flying attack aircrafts or riding on armoured vehicles.” He said.
Retired Air Force officer…
Middle Belt Times carried out further checks on the 30 and 50mm calibre round and discovered that such ammunitions are typically not used against personnel, but rather as an anti-materiel or armor-piercing round. “Rounds of this size can be effective against lightly armored vehicles as well as fortified bunkers. 30 mm is also a popular calibre for shipboard close-in weapons systems, such as the Russian AK-630 and Dutch Goalkeeper CIWS.” [Wikipedia].
MBT reporter holding a recovered high calibre ammunition
Similarly, the 50mm calibre round is used typically as anti-materiel or armoured-piercint ammunition mostly mounted on attack aircrafts. The question begging for answer is, what could such dangerous weapons be doing in an agrarian community not at war with anybody?
CONCLUSION
While this investigation may not go down well with the powers that be, Middle Belt Times is not out to foment trouble. We are asking every stakeholder to get to grips with themselves and do the needful. Yesterday, it was AK47 riffles. Today, it is a helicopter. We do not know what befalls our communities tomorrow, maybe, chemical or biological weapons.
Frontline Pro-democratic and civil society organisation- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to annul the Ekiti State governorship election that began since Saturday morning because of overwhelming evidence of financial inducements, corruption of the electoral process and absolute compromise of the ingredients of a free, fair and transparent election.
HURIWA condemned the major contenders for the position of Governor of Ekiti State for their alleged involvement in the compromises and criminalisation of the electoral process in the State which the Rights group maintained has vitiated the constitutional principle of respecting the will of the electorate which the group said can no longer be attained going by the widespread reports of brazen and open trading, buying and selling of the votes of the electorate even as the Police and other law enforcement agencies are also bought over.
HURIWA is miffed that even Biodun Oyebanji, the governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, was captured by an eagle eyed media practitioner allegedly giving money to an electorate at his polling unit at ward 06, unit 03, Okelele Area of Ikogosi-Ekiti.
Oyebanji reportedly gave money to the electorate while voting was ongoing just as he arrived at his polling unit alongside his wife.
The Rights group has asked the Economic and financial crimes Commission to arrest the candidate of the APC and for the electoral commission to cancel the poll because whatever results from a process that is muddied by corruption and bribery can’t be said to be credible, free and fair nor can it be classified as transparent. HURIWA carpeted the EFCC for lacking good enough intelligence to stop this distortion of the electoral process in Ekiti State.
HURIWA also noted that members of her association that voted in the exercise reported widespread buying and selling of votes by the major contenders such as the APC, SDP, PDP even as the Rights group mentioned that evidences abound in the media and from credible sources of how agents of mostly the All Progressives Congress went about negotiating, buying and paying openly for votes even as some voters were seen arguing about the fact that some polling agents of the APC failed to pay them the agreed sum after they cast their votes for their candidate as negotiated.
HURIWA in a media Statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said the only credible line of action by the Independent National Electoral Commission to take immediately is to annul the election and reschedule another fresh poll during which time proper security vetting of the security apparatuses and security persons to monitor the electoral process and ensure zero tolerance to bribery and mortgaging of the electorate. “If INEC doesn’t cancel this immoral and open buying and selling of ballots, then INEC itself is compromised heavily”.
Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Saturday, warned the Federal Government not to hand over 17 of the nation’s airports to cronies under the guise of phantom concession.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, feared that the outgoing Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, might want to give out the airports to incompetent families and friends as parting gift as his tenure as a cabinet member ends in less than 11 months.
The group warned that such approach to concession of the nation’s airports won’t be tolerated and therefore challenged the minister to make the process as transparent and fair so that competent concessionaires would take over the nation’s airports since the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has demonstrated failure in all aspect of governance including the maintenance of the nation’s critical infrastructure.
The minister had during the week said at least 17 airports under the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria that are currently not up for concession are going to be given to concessionaires.
The concession process for Nigeria’s four international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano is currently ongoing while FAAN manages 21 airports on behalf of the Federal Government.
But HURIWA’s Onwubiko warned the minister, FAAN, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and the National Policy on Public-Private Partnership as well as all those involved in the concession process to be guided by the principles of justice and transparency.
Onwubiko said, “The move to concession the country’s 17 airports yet to be concession is testament to the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed in the management and maintenance of Nigeria’s critical assets which he met on ground when he came into office in May 2015.
“Sadly, seven years later, the President and his appointees including the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, have moved to hand over Nigeria’s assets to private individuals.
“Whilst HURIWA reckon that the gains of concession if done rightly are undeniable, we call for the integrity of the process which is highly questionable going by the notoriety of this government’s knack for massive corruption and theft of public fund with many top officials accused of fraud.
“Electricity distribution companies that were privatised were sold to cronies of government officials and today Nigeria’s power supply system is the worst globally.
“HURIWA fears that these airports may be sold to cronies of this government and there is no way of knowing because there are no opportunities for credible civil society organisations to understudy those companies that may bid for concession of these national assets. The aviation industry must stop being opaque and the poor transparency records must be corrected.”
June 18, 2022
Emmanuel Onwubiko
National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).
…Says APC should clear N1.1 trillion ASUU demand from nomination form sale
Foremost civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Wednesday, lambasted the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for compounding the security challenges of the country by allowing the strike by lecturers in public universities to linger to over four months since it started on February 14, 2022.
HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said undergraduates have been heavily harvested and recruited into crimes including terrorism, banditry, Internet fraud, prostitution, drug trafficking, amongst others, because of the prolonged industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The group therefore asked the National Assembly led by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; and House of Representatives’ Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; to pass a no-confidence vote on Buhari and sack him.
In the same vein, HURIWA said the All Progressives Congress government was not serious to end the ASUU deadlock that has besieged the country and brought public tertiary education to a halt.
HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The APC-led government has demonstrated nonchalance to tertiary education in public schools obviously because the ruling class send their children to private institutions in Nigeria and overseas.
“The APC raked in over N2.5 trillion naira from its recent presidential primary alone as over 25 aspirants paid N100 million each. The N2.5 trillion is excluding trillions gotten from thousands of governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly aspirants.
“If the party is serious about ending the ASUU strike and saving its President, Muhammadu Buhari, from ignoble shame, it would have given just N1.1 trillion to ASUU to end the strike. But unfortunately, we have shameless people in power both at the APC top echelon and the Federal Government.”
ASUU led by Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, had on February 14, 2022, said its fresh industrial action came on the heels of the government’s failure to satisfactorily implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the Union in December 2020 on renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, Earned Academic Allowances, funding for revitalisation of public universities, withheld salaries, amongst others.
Before this year, students of public universities had also been at home for nine straight months in 2020 when ASUU and the Federal Government had a face-off over unpaid areas, choice of payment platforms, amongst other contentious issues.
According to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, the government had paid about N90 billion from the over N1.1 trillion demanded by ASUU for revitalization and earned allowances.
HURIWA’s Onwubiko noted, “We call on the National Assembly to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari for letting the ASUU strike linger thereby endangering national security. Everyone knows an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. This is why is not imaginable that some undergraduate youths would have gone into sophisticated crimes such as kidnappings, cultism, terrorism, drug trafficking, amongst others.
“The government’s inability to resolve the industrial crisis in the public universities whereby over 70% of youths attend because they are from poor backgrounds is a direct declaration of war on the youths.
“HURIWA, therefore, urged the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to be a man now that he couldn’t get his promised presidential candidacy from the cabal in Aso Rock. He should do the needful and etched his name on the sands of time by impeaching the President.
“HURIWA will subsequently write to all Western Embassies to urge them not to admit children of governors, ministers and the President for any academic programmes in their nations until the ASUU strike is permanently solved.
“Also, the National Association of Nigerian Students must sustain public protests and not cave in to intimidation and money-based aluta. They should not eat their future like Esau.”
June 15, 2022
Emmanuel Onwubiko
National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).
Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Monday, lambasted the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), over the constant collapse of the national power grid for the past seven years since he came into power in May 2015.
HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, described as shameful and sign of a failed leader, the widespread blackout that besiege Nigerians all the time due to the collapse of Nigeria’s electricity grid. HURIWA lamented that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is mishandling the electricity power sector like a bunch of infants groping in the dark and wondered what has become his campaign promises to revive the electricity power sector even as the Rights group has now asked President Muhammadu Buhari to restore the Power sector to the stage that it was in 2015 before his incompetent government came on board.
The group demanded the sacking of the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, for inefficiency especially with the fifth collapse of the national grid in 2022 alone.
There was widespread blackout across the country on Sunday following the collapse of the national power grid, making it the fifth this year alone. Many electricity distribution companies alerted their users in messages across social media.
It was learnt that the grid collapse on Sunday occurred around 6.49pm, leading to the shutdown of the outgoing electricity feeders of some power distribution companies.
Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The recurring electricity power failure is unfortunate and totally avoidable. More saddening is the inability of President Muhammadu Buhari to put the right expert in place as minister due to nepotism and partisanship which is inevitably hurting and harming the citizens.
“The World Bank just predicted that more Nigerians will fall into poverty and we think the deliberate failure of the Buhari’s administration to fix the electricity power sector due to endemic corruption will contribute massively to more joblessness as small and medium scale enterprises that rely on power supplies from the national grid will fold up and are already disengaging their staff.
“Despite the humongous amount spent on the power sector, no improvement has been made as corruption continues to cripple this vital sector.
“For instance, the Buhari government has spent over N1.7 trillion on the electricity sector since 2017. In September 2021, Buhari said that Nigeria needed over $400bn to fund its critical energy needs, according to a statement quoted by Bloomberg.
“Also, according to the World Bank, the Buhari government has borrowed a total of N1.3tn since 2017 to ensure that generation companies continue generating electricity, adding that it would cost the Federal Government an additional N3.08tn through 2023, if current performance levels and low tariffs persist.
“Alternative source of energy is also a no-go area as artificial scarcity by corrupt middlemen dictate price of fuel. Now, diesel price per litre is at over N500 now, petrol price reaching N200 per litre, and soaring cooking gas at over 300 per cent, amongst others. This is despite that under Buhari, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has spent N100 billion on the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries in 2021 despite not producing a single drop of oil.
“HURIWA call on the President to fire the heads of the different power sector related agencies including the inefficient and incompetent politician in the ministry of power as minister. Nigeria needs the best of hands; round pegs in round holes to solve the power quagmire for Nigeria to generate and distribute at least above 5,000 megawatts daily. Or did we offend God by bringing Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015 and 2019?”
June 13, 2022
Emmanuel Onwubiko
National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).
Sunday Marshall Katung, also known as SMK, is a jurist, an astute businessman, consummate politician and philanthropist. He has worked in both the private and public sectors and has been a long standing, dedicated and loyal member of the esteemed People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He is a man with the burning desire to use his professional skills, experience and political sagacity to provide effective representation for the people of Kaduna South (otherwise known as Zone 3) Senatorial District at the National Assembly.
To achieve this goal, he traversed the length and breadth of the eight (8) local governments that make up Zone 3, meeting and consulting with various political stakeholders to sell his candidacy. He utilised social and traditional media, direct contact and reminded party faithful of his previous achievements as a former member of the Federal House of Representatives.
His efforts culminated in victory at the just concluded senatorial primaries. The primary was adjudged to be free and fair by all contesting candidates, delegates and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that was on hand to monitor the exercise. There were unusual jubilations and backslapping by his supporters, well wishers and his campaign team comprising cerebral, disciplined, dedicated and hard working patriots.
Just as he and his team were returning to the drawing board to strategise for the election proper, however, news started filtering in that SMK induced delegates, had outstanding tax issues and delegates were not properly accreditated. These were initially brushed off as rumours, until surfacing of a letter written to the party leadership by some party members loyal to one of the defeated contestants.
First and foremost, SMK is an experienced lawyer who understands the implications of not filing taxes properly or evading taxes. As a politician seeking office he knows that proper tax filing is not only a mandatory requirement at least at the political party level but also a civic duty. Moreover, he is domiciled in Abuja, and therefore pays taxes to the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS) who issued him a tax clearance certificate to that effect. Why KADIRS finds its way into a matter it has no jurisdiction over is curious and suspect.
Secondly, a politician does not need to induce voters to vote for him or her when he is amiable, charismatic and runs an issue based campaign focusing on pertinent issues plaguing his Constituency. SMK is a man of the people and has served the people of the zone both as a commissioner and federal legislator. So he is on ground.
And finally, delegates present had their membership cards and were verified before gaining entry to the venue, if it were not so, the election would not have held and his competitors (bar one) would not have congratulated him or conceded.
Knowing the capabilities of rival parties, it is unfortunate that the PDP in Zone 3 instead of uniting and putting its best foot forward, members are conniving to bring down an extremely popular candidate with frivolous petitions and allegations.
I find it curious that the contents of the letter found its way to a petitioner against SMK from the camp of one of the contestants. This happens to give credence to the suspicion that at least a staff of the agency is fully involved in the conspiracy to rubbish the integrity of the senatorial candidate. This is a sad development for the Senatorial District, not just for SMK whose time God has made to come.
It is also sad that a government agency with no jurisdiction on the matteris being used as a tool to witch hunt an illustrious son of Southern Kaduna.
Delegates have spoken. A significant portion of stakeholders and party members are behind SMK.
For SMK, he will surmount this particular challenge as his time has come to contest for the senatorial seat of Zone 3, and by the Grace of God, He will march to victory come February 2023.
…TASKS Federal High Court to free itself from executive shackles
As news emerged that Killers of Afenifere Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti’s daughter, late Mrs. Funke Olakuri, have been sentenced to death by hanging by Ondo High Court, Akure, Ondo State, the leading Civil Rights Advocacy Group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has applauded the Ondo State Judiciary for this uncommon feat and phenomenal justice.
HURIWA said the sentencing of the armed Fulani terrorists in Ondo State is a signal that although Justice may be very slow but with determination and diligence in prosecution, the judiciary that is not encumbered by executive interference would surely deliver Justice and bring closure to such a case of mindless murder of a completely innocent person.
The Rights group wonders why this is not the same with the way the office of the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice prosecutes terrorists even as the Rights group accuses the Federal Attorney General and the Inspector-General of Police of cover up in casesnof terrorism and kidnappings in which many Fulani armed herdsmen were involved, arrested and paraded by the force headquarters in Abuja. “We suspect that the IGP often parades arrested armed Fulani herdsmen but as soon as they are reported in the media it would seem that those paraded are released from the backdoor and return to carry out more of their mindless killings all over the Country. This is because there is no openness regarding the fate of all the armed Fulani terrorists previously paraded by the Force Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force”.
HURIWA also accused the Federal High Court of becoming an appendage of the office if the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by giving up its powers and independence especially in cases in which the Federal government is the defendant.
HURIWA has therefore asked the Federal High Court to exorcise itself of executive interference and become independent so cases brought to them by Nigerians seeking redress from human rights violations are not impeded by corrupt bureaucratic bottlenecks tearing down the Federal High Courts.
The Rights group showered encomiums on the Ondo State Judiciary for standing up to be counted amongst those who have defended their inherent independence.
“We call on all other State jucial arm to wake up and bring Justice to mass murderers and terrorists who are unleashing devastating violence on innocent People. States such as Plateau, Kaduna, Benue States whereby Fulani terrorists have massacred thousands of Indigenous farmers and natives must wake up from slumber, shake off executive slavery and become independent so as to deliver Justice to the thousands of victims of terrorism in those States. The police must be allowed by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to carry out their law enforcement functions in all cases of mass killings even when armed Fulani terrorists are implicated because for 7 years, these Fulani terrorists have been enjoying executive protection and pampering which endangers the rule of law.
HURIWA recalled that the deceased, Olakunri, was killed in July 12, 2019 along Ore/Ijebu-Ode Road in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state when she was traveling to Lagos from Akure for a social function by armed Fulani terrorists.
Her driver, Femi Ajayi, was kidnapped and released after he had spent seven days in their captivity.
HURIWA recalled that Justice Williams Olamide convicted and sentenced Muhammed Shehu Usman, Mazaje Lawal and Adamu Adamu, to death by hanging for offences ranging from conspiracy to murder, kidnapping and armed robbery just as the prosecution established beyond reasonable doubts that the same convicts attacked and killed a hunter identified as Matthew Ogunbiyi in the forest and took a German-Nigerian hostage, who was released after payment of ransom.
HURIWA citing news report stated that the now convicted terrorists were also charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and actual commission of armed robbery contrary to Section 1 (2a&b) for the Robbery and Firearm Special Prohibition Act CAP R11, Volume 14, Laws of the Federation. Besides, they were charged with conspiracy to commit felony to wit kidnapping, contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of Criminal Code CAP 37, Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State.
HURIWA recalled that the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Titiloye, had levied eight-count charge against four suspects, listing them as aiding and abetting, armed robbery, kidnapping and murder. The first to three suspects were charged with murder contrary to Section 316 and punishable under section 319 of the Criminal Code CAP 37 Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State, Nigeria, 2006.
HURIWA recalled that the judge convicted them on the eight count charges while he discharged the fourth suspect, Awalu Abubakar, for conspiracy, aiding and abetting even as Justice Olamide ordered the convicts to die either by hanging on the murder counter, and added that they would spend the remaining part of their lives in prison for the offence of kidnapping.
Being a Rejoinder by Tony Nnadi on behalf of NINAS Secretariat, to the Debate in the British Parliament following the Pentecost Day Terror Attack on worshipers at a Catholic Church in Owo
– issued June 10, 2022.
Reviewing the video recording of the Debate in the British Parliament in the immediate aftermath of the June 5, 2022 Terror Attack on worshippers at a Catholic Church in Owo, the overall impression is that of a determined effort by Britain to distort, obfuscate and possibly deflect attention from the self-evident complicity of the Government of Nigeria under the watch of their ward, Muhammadu Buhari, in the widespread Campaign of Terror being perpetrated by Fulani invaders against the indigenous peoples of Nigeria.
Guided by its own vested interests, that cock and bull Debate in the British Parliament is built on the long-disproved false narrative about farmers/herdsmen clashes, prompted mainly by the consequences of climate change.
This false narrative avoids the true nature of what the problem is, which in the main, is the murderous Fulani Conquest Invasion as well as the complicity of the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (a Fulani man), his Government and the high command of the Nigerian Military over which Buhari presides as Commander-In-Chief.
All the remediation actions and propositions by the British Minister taking the questions in Parliament, manifestly revolved around the jaundiced tales of the Government of Nigeria which is deeply complicit in the escalating violence.
These contrast sharply with what the United States (US) did in getting to the root of the Nigerian terror crisis by interfacing with the victims of the terror attacks as well as speaking with people in Nigeria who could have more insight into the nature and true cause(s) of the violence, including incidentally, myself.
I happened to be in the Delegation of Nigerians invited to the 2019 Round of International Religious Freedom Ministerial Roundtable on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, (June-July 2019) following the January 2019 Emergency Press Conferences on Nigeria at the National Press Club in Washington DC organized by a coalition of US Evangelicals, and facilitated by ICON, to call global attention to the widespread ethnoreligious killings going on in Nigeria.
The aforementioned US Probe of the ethnoreligious killings in Nigeria, established a Fulani ethnic agenda, disguised with the garment of religion (Jihad) compounded by the complicity of the Buhari-led Government resulting in US Policy Actions on Nigeria which began with Nigeria being placed on a Special US Watch-List in December 2019 and the subsequent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) in March 2020, amongst other actions.
NINAS will make an audiovisual response to that misleading British Parliamentary Debate on the Terror currently ravaging Nigeria.
In the meantime, the public is invited to view on YouTube, two recent NINAS Broadcasts in its Alert Series under titles:
(1) “Train Terror Attack Demands: Evidence of Government Complicity”
which relate to the subject matter and which both predate the Owo Terror Attack.
These two videos above speak to the backdrop of the British vested interests and complicity of the Government of Nigeria and so what we see in the aforementioned British Parliamentary debate is basically a spin of the Caliphate, being marketed by their British Principals.
