INSECURITY: NIGERIA NEEDS A WORKING FORMULA

By Emmanuel Onwubiko

“Objectives are not fate; they are direction. They are not commands; they are commitments. They do not determine the future; they are means to mobilize the resources and energies of the business for the making of the future.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

In about a week’s time, the two most prominent political parties namely the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party will select/anoint/elect their Presidential candidates for the 2023 Presidential poll. 

The aspirants have since started campaigns by travelling around the Country seeking out the support of the elected delegates who are to nominate the candidates of the political parties. 

In the APC, the aspirants are saying many things but most of them do not have workable templates on most of the promises they are making verbally to the delegates and to  Nigerians. Some of the Presidential aspirants like Nyesom Wike are as intellectually empty as it can ever be in the area of preferring practicable panacea to the crises caused by the National climate of insecurity and terrorism by and non State actors. Nyesom Wike who is governor of Rivers State is lucky to have inherited the Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi’s security formula in Rivers State in which the former Rivers State’s helmsman and now a Frontline aspirant for the position of a Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress implemented that made Rivers State during his eight years reign as the most crime free State in the 36 States of the Federation. It is not known that the successor to Rotimi Amaechi as Governor of Rivers State Nyesim Wike introduced any other strategy different from the larger security template put in place by Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. 

We will come to the issue of the blueprints for development that the aspirants have articulated but first let us look at the issue of whether the incumbent President has a favourite Candidate to succeed him or not. 

The President himself recently confirmed that he indeed has one most favoured successor but that he will keep the identity close to his heart since he does not want to jeopardise the security of the person. 

Incidentally, the special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, says his principal has a favourite candidate to succeed him in 2023, but will not mention the person.

Adesina made the revelation during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Thursday.

So far ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio; Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba  have joined the presidential race on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC). Of these bunch, the immediate past minister of Transportation Mr Amaechi seems to be poles apart as the most significant political Son of President Muhammadu Buhari in terms of who amongst all his appointees allocated the most strategic national assets like Railways and Transportation University in Daura the homestead of President Muhammadu Buhari. So if being favourite is to be rated by who loves the President and his people the more, Rotimi Amaechi is obviously the number 1. The rest are hypocrites. But let us hear what the President’s Media minder said. 

Mr. Adesina, an ordained Deacon of a Pentacostal Church, who said he is not card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), touched on the sensitive matter of who is indeed President Muhammadu Buhari’s favoured successor in 2023. But he stopped short of naming names. 

Adesina said, “In a previous interview when the president was asked whether he had a favorite candidate, he answered yes; but he will not mention him because mischief may happen to that person.

“That shows you that the president himself is interested in the process and he has a preferred candidate; but whether he will impose his candidate is what you can no determine at the moment.

Political pundits believe that if royalty is the yardstick for President Muhammadu Buhari to decide his favourite then the immediate past minister of Transportation Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi will be amongst the top most favourites. The then former governor of Rivers State sacrificed so much by way of resources to campaign vigorously for the then APC Presidential Candidate in 2014 before the incumbent President cruised to victory at the polls in 2015. 

Few days back the Abuja civil Society community including the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) converged in Abuja to deliberate on the State of the nation and to set agenda for the Presidential candidates of the parties that will emerge from the primaries this week. The groups expressed happiness that Aspirant Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of the All Progressives Congress has made the issue of insecurity his sacred mandate and the Centre of his blueprints. It is not a secret that the number one problem facing Nigeria is insecurity.  The coalition of civil rights campaigners also stated that they agreed with Rotimi Amaechi’s claims of what programmes and steps he took ad the then Governor of Rivers State to tackle insecurity.  

The then Ricers State governor who is the immediate past Minister of Transportation and APC presidential aspirant, Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday said he tackled insecurity while he was Rivers governor by equipping the military and the police. The Human rights stakeholders said Rotimi Amaechi is correct to make the claim.

Recall that Mr Amaechi spoke while visiting the Deji of Akure, Aladetonyibo Aladelusi Ogunlade, at his palace in Ondo State.

He also paid a private visit to former presidential candidate, Olu Falae. Mr Amaechi later proceeded to Ibadan, where he paid a visit to the Olubadan of Ibadan, Olalekan Balogun, and met with delegates and party faithful at the Oyo State APC secretariat.

The minister said if elected as president, he would be detribalized and would ensure that the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians are protected, irrespective of tribe and religion.

“You recognized us for who we are, you recognized us not as a Yoruba candidate, not as an Hausa candidate, not as an Igbo candidate or Ikwerre where I come from, but as a Nigerian candidate,” Mr Amaechi told the Deji of Akure.

“I am detribalized, I don’t know Yoruba or Hausa, I just know Nigeria, and everybody should be treated like that, there should be no segregation,” he said.

Mr Amaechi said as president, he would deploy his wealth of experience in governance and fighting insecurity.

“Your Majesty sir, It is not enough to say I was a former Governor for two terms, former Speaker for two terms, and all of that. The question to ask is what did I do with those positions? Because when I say I come with experience, I actually come with experience.

“Quite a lot of those who are contesting or aspiring to be the President don’t come with that kind of experience that I come with. I have governed a state where there was insecurity.

“When I was governor of Rivers state, they were kidnapping two months old babies.”

Mr Amaechi said he was just a few weeks in office when two high-profile kidnappings took place in Rivers.

“The first they confronted me with was the kidnap of a prominent Nigerian, a Rivers man, Prof. Nimi Briggs, one time Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt.

“The next person they kidnapped was the wife of late Chief Lulu Briggs, prominent people, and I was barely few weeks or months old in office, I rescued them.

“So we equipped the military and police, we trained them and made sure that at any point in time you kidnap anybody, we are in the position to rescue the person and punish the kidnappers.

“So I am experienced in finding solutions to insecurity,” he said.

Responding, the Deji of Akure, described Mr Amaechi as a grassroots politician who knows the needs of his people.

“You have already passed through the hierarchy of politics, from Speaker, two times. All these two times position has a meaning,” said the Deji, putting two fingers up and adding that it signifies peace.

“In a good democracy setting, you should not have any problems at all,” the monarch continued.

“Currently, you have transformed the Ministry of Transportation, and I want the rail to come to Akure with the Seaport in Ondo. Whatever it takes for the rail to come to Akure, we will do it, and whatever it takes for the Seaport to come to Ondo, the people of Ondo will do it.

“We are not doubting you at all because you passed through all the stages. You did what you were supposed to do at each stage, all those that elected you, they did because of your integrity and for the love you have for your people. Not for your people alone, but for the nation.

“Like you said earlier, you are not from Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba alone, you are a typical Nigerian and we take it like that and when you get there, I know you will be a typical Nigerian not one-sided,” he said.

The conference of human rights practitioners championed by the National Coordinator of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said the security blueprint canvassed by Mr. ROTIMI CHIBUIKE AMAECHI is noteworthy just as the activists said the endorsement of Aspirant Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi by the immediate past Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai demonstrates the validity of the security templates that the aspirant has been talking about. 

It must be recalled that as the consultations with delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the country by Presidential Aspirant and former Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi continue to attract high profile support, a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai has endorsed the former Minister, stating that his loyalty and love for Nigeria and humanity is unmatched.

Gen. Buratai who is currently, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, gave this endorsement at a parley with delegates of the APC in Bauchi, Wednesday night, when he and other dignitaries accompanied the Presidential hopeful, Chibuike Amaechi to solicit delegates’ support in Bauchi ahead of the party’s primaries.

Burutai stated that he was spurred to give his support to Amaechi due to his outstanding profile and vast experience in governance.

He said, “You can see from the introduction, the experience of our Presidential aspirant. The profile of Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is quite intimidating. He has proven to be a sound administrator, a versatile leader, a good strategist and a politician per excellence, who has shown good qualities in all areas he had worked. As Speaker, as Governor, as Minister and also first among equals during his tenure as Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, as well as the dexterity and the quality of the campaign (for President Buhari) that he led on two occasions. That is why I am giving him my full support.

“He did that diligently with all his determination, loyalty and of course with love for Nigeria and love for humanity irrespective of what religion you belong to. This is quite commendable, that’s why he’s here today to solicit for your votes. From what you have heard about him, I believe you know that he’s the man of the moment. He is the right choice. So, I urge you to make the right choice and vote for him,” Buratai said.

Addressing the delegates, Amaechi said he is the only aspirant in the party with impressive records that would defeat the opposition party. He urged the delegates to vote for him for the overall benefit of all Nigerians.

According to him, “This is the moment of decision. For twenty two years I have held public office, as Speaker, as Governor and as Minister. And in all of these, you will see my footprint. There’s a railway construction going on from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. It includes Bauchi and it’s called the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway. If you vote for me, that project will be completed and it will create employment. So vote for me, make me the candidate of the party. I doubt that the other aspirants have the capacity to defeat me, If you vote for me I will defeat PDP.”

Earlier, at a visit to the Emir of Bauchi, HRM Dr. Rilwan Suleiman Adamu, Amaechi used the occasion to re-emphasize his commitment to deliver on infrastructure and tackle insecurity if elected.

“Your Highness, I am here to seek for your blessings, to appeal to the Bauchi delegates to give me their votes on the day of the primaries, because there is no aspirant in our party that is as prepared as I am to be the President of Nigeria.

“I have the energy, I have the capability, I have the knowledge and the strength to be the President of Nigeria. I have the experience of what the problems are and what the solutions should be and I’m seeking your support to provide solutions to those problems.

“One of the things I did to fight militancy in Port Harcourt was to create employment. I will introduce agricultural programmes to create jobs for the people. I will provide infrastructure in Bauchi, I am full of experience, If you vote for me I will chase the criminals away. I did it in Port Harcourt and Rivers State and I am prepared to do it again. I will do my best to restore security in the country. Please tell your people to vote for me and I will bring that experience to bear, Amaechi said.

HURIWA as well as the over 36 register Civil Rights Advocacy Groups said the qualitative security blueprint of Mr. ROTIMI CHIBUIKE AMAECHI is commendable and should be looked on by other aspirants because it is obvious that our most fundamental human development issue destroying the body polity is insecurity. In fairness, most participants at the CSO’s parley in Abuja at the Weekend hosted by HURIWA somewhere at Wuse two, were of the unanimity of opinion that if truth be told, Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has the most acceptable security template to take Nigeria out of the WILDERNESS OF INSECURITY AND TERRORISM within a short time frame because of his Profound commitment to the thematic area of HUMAN AND NATIONAL SECURITY. 

And as Ralph Waldo Emerson pointed out, commitment is the single virtue a charismatic leader of a nation needs to take his nation to the frontiers of advancement and sustainability. 

*EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO is head of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA and was NATIONAL COMMISSIONER of the NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF NIGERIA.

Explosion: HURIWA calls for dismissal of Kano police commissioner 

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Thursday, demanded the sacking of the Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Mr. Sama’ila Dikko, for jumping to conclusion that the explosion that rocked the Sabon Gari area of the state on Tuesday was a gas explosion and not a bomb blast.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, lambasted the police boss for declaring the root cause of the disaster without any investigation, even as residents and eyewitnesses strongly said on live television interviews that the explosion was as a result of a bomb blast.

The explosion rocked the Aba Road of the area in the early hours of Tuesday, killing nine 

with many others injured.

The state Commissioner of Police (Dikko) had while giving an update on the incident, said it was a gas explosion from a welder’s shop close to a nursery and primary school.

But eyewitnesses disagreed with the police boss saying the incident “was not a gas explosion, but a bomb, due to the high-density vibration,” emphasising that it shook houses located about five kilometre away from the scene of the explosion.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “Eyewitness spoke with Arise TV showed and they contradicted what the police said.  The witnesses said it was a suicide bomber that detonated a bomb killing himself and many others but the police lied.

“HURIWA calls for the dismissal of the police commissioner for jumping to conclusion on the cause of the explosion even before any sort of investigation is done.

“We also call for a judicial commission of inquiry by the Kano State Government together with the Federal Government and Southern Governors’ Forum because the target of the bomb blast were Igbos and other Southerners that dominate Sabon Gari Kano. 

“We also call for independent forensic probe to be done too to determine the actual cause of the explosion that eye witnesses are now attributing to bomb blasts 

“The police must show discipline and professionalism without jumping into conclusion but by exercise diligence and scrutiny in its investigations.”

May 18, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

HURIWA TO GOV. TAMBUWAL, SOKOTO COLLEGE MANAGEMENT: YOU HAVE BLOOD OF DEBORAH IN YOUR HANDS

… Carpets President Muhammadu Buhari’s conspiratorial silence on the STONE AGE BARBARIC MURDER OF DEBORAH SAMUEL YAKUBU

Frontline Civil rights advocacy group-: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has condemned the conspiratorial silence for over 24 hours of President Muhammadu Buhari over the brutal hacking to death of a 200 level Christian Student of the Sokoto College of Education Miss  Deborah Samuel Yakubu by Islamic extremists in the school over alleged blasphemy.

Warning that reprisals may become inevitable  if the case of murder of Deborah in Sokoto is swept under the carpets like similar cases of murders of Christians over alleged blasphemy  by Islamists in Kubwa Abuja and twice in Kano State, the Rights group told Sokoto state governor Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and the hierarchy of the ill fated school that the blood of the innocent Christian girl murdered in broad daylight is on their heads and generations unborn won’t forgive them for seemingly ominous inaction. HURIWA is by this statesman urging that the strongest deterrent action provided by law is applied against these killers of Deborah who are even captured on video recordings or else the Federal Government has unwittingly authorised that reprisals should occur and these violence will do Nigeria no good because religious violence could lead to a civil war. 

“HURIWA is very much aware, that President Muhammadu Buhari did not mince words to condemn Indigenous Peoples of Biafra(IPOB) even without any scientific evidence linking them remotely or otherwise to the gruesome and despicable beheading of the soldiers’ couple massacred by unknown gunmen reportedly on their way to a traditional wedding in the South East of Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari even gave order that the killers be hunted down and dealt with decisively by military forces.”

HURIWA continued thus: “President Muhammadu Buhari did this aforementioned hurried but generally hasty reaction because the perceived or suspected killers are Igbos, an Ethnicity that his administration has treated with the short end of the stick for not voting for him in 2015 and 2019. But since over 28 hours that a Christian student of the Sokoto College of Education Deborah Samuel Yakubu was lynched by Islamic students for alleged blasphemy, President Muhammadu Buhari has maintained conspiratorial silence as if the innocent blood that was shed by the Extremists is not that of a human being. This same hypocrisy of conspiratorial silence was noticed with the Sokoto State governor who stayed away from taking action but secretly sent his commissioner for higher education to speak on the murder. We in HURIWA want to let him Tambuwal and Buhari know that so long as there is no justice for this murdered Martyr Miss Deborah Yakubu, her innocent blood is on their heads”. 

HURIWA condemned the  management of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto for standing by and for doing next to nothing whilst the riotous Islamic extremists within the students body descended on their fellow Students and killed her like a chicken but only made timid announcement of the so-called indefinite closure of the institution after a female student was reportedly killed for alleged blasphemy.

HURIWA said it is preposterous that the late student, believed to be a Christian, was stoned to death and burnt just because she was reportedly  said to have attributed her academic excellence to Jesus and rankled by her response, she was asked to withdraw the statement — to which she refused even as her refusal to apologise made the mob attack her and then set her body ablaze. The Rights group wondered when Sokoto has become an Islamic State when section 10 of the Constitution recognises Nigeria as a SECULAR STATE whereby no RELIGION IS A STATE RELIGION.”

HURIWA quoted a source as stating that “She (Deboraj Yakubu Samuel) was having an argument with some of her schoolmates over their ongoing examination and when she was asked how she managed to pass her exams, she said it was Jesus,” the source was quoted as saying. “She was asked to withdraw the statement and apologise which she refused. “The school security intervened, and took her to their post but they were overpowered by students after which she was killed in the process. After killing her, her body was burnt on the school premises.” Reacting to the incident, the college directed all students to vacate its campus immediately.

The college said thus: “Following today’s early morning Students rampage in the college, the college management has resolved to close down the college indefinitely with immediate effect. Consequently, all students are hereby directed to vacate the College campus immediately (12th may, 2022),” the statement read.

HURIWA in a statement by Conrade Emmanuel Onwubiko its National Coordinator however blamed the management for not adequately providing her security by failing to call for police and military beef up but simply sacrificed the Christian Student at the altar of religious extremism and hypocrisy. 

HURIWA said religious pluralism and freedoms have suffered organised criminal attacks since President Muhammadu Buhari who before he won election in 2015 supported the introduction of full shariah law in Northern Nigeria, became President but nobody who killed Christian has ever been known to have been punished in accordance with the law of Nigeria thus creating the impression that the laws of Nigeria are not meant to be effective in the core Moslem North. 

HURIWA condemned the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for reportedly debunking his initial condemnation of the dastardly act of killing by the Extremists of Deborah just as the Rights group said Atiku Abubakar has a terrible record of not intervening when Christians are killed by his kinsmen but yet he hopes to win the votes of Christians as he seeks the ticket of the opposition PDP to become their Presidential Candidate this month. 

HURIWA dismissed ATIKU ABUBAKAR as someone who lacks principles and is perpetually afraid of Islamic fundamentalists thus creating the image of himself as a Moslem bigot. ATIKU ABUBAKAR DENIED EVER CONDEMNING THE KILLING OF THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN GIRL DEBORAH IN SOKOTO BECAUSECISLAMISTS THREATENED HIM ON HIS FACEBOOK AND TWEETER NOT TO CAST THEIR VOTES FOR HIM. LET US ASK ATIKU ABUBAKAR,  IF YOUR DAUGHTER IS AT THIS RECEIVING END OF THIS BARBARIC MURDER,  WILL YOU OREFER THE SO CALLED VOTES OF THE LAWLESS ISLAMISTS OR WILL YOU STAND BY THE NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION WHICH IN SECTION 36(5) GUARANTEES FAIR HEARING TO ALL ACCUSED PERSONS SND SECTION 6 CONCEDES JUDICIAL POWER OF THE FEDERATION TO THE COURTS OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION LOSTED THEREIN? WE ASK PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI,  IF ONE OF YOUR DAUGHTER IS THE ONE TREATED LIKE A CHICKEN LIKE DEBORSH OF SOKOTO COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, WILL YOU MAINTAIN CONSPIRATORIAL SILENCE AS IF YOU ARE NOT ON THIS PLANET WITH US?”

It’s shameful security agents fail to arrest Aso Rock burglars one year after –HURIWA

*HURIWA DEPLORES INABILITY OF SECURITY FORCES TO STOP RISING CRIMES/TERRORISTS INFILTRATION OF FCT

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Tuesday, slammed the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency and other security agencies for their collective failure to fish out some Aso Rock burglars one year after the embarrassing incident.  

Robbers, last May, had burgled the residence of the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja and the incident was confirmed by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, also said the incompetence of the security agents and their failure to arrest the Aso Rock burglars has buoyed burglars and bandits so much so that they sacked Abuja villagers and cause hundreds of dwellers to flee their homes despite living in the seat of power, kilometres away from President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Residents of rural communities in the FCT have reportedly fled their homes after bandits went on a rampage, killing a 23-year-old man, Nura Mai Gyada, and stealing 36 motorcycles.

According to news reports, daring bandits went on the rampage last weekend in the Adagba community of the Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, kidnapping residents and killing some. 

Residents had said the bandits numbering over 100 with sophisticated weapons invaded the community around 9pm on Saturday, divided themselves into groups, moved from house to house while shooting into the air and made away with motorcycles, other valuables and cash.

Several other kidnappings, killings and disturbing attacks have occurred in Abuja in the last two years including the attack and abduction of two Abuja-based journalists of PUNCH Newspapers, Solomon Odeniyi and Amarachi Orjiude, within 24-hours last March; the attack on the Abuja Bureau Chief of the Nigerian Tribune, Leon Usigbe, also in March 2022, the abduction of a PUNCH journalist, Okechukwu Nnodim, in February 2021; amongst numerous others that went unreported in the media.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is shameful and a pointer to the inefficiency of all the security agents that one year after daring burglars invaded the residence of a whole Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, a street to that of the President in Aso Villa, the police, the DSS, the Army and others are yet to fish out the perpetrators. Or have they gotten the so-called burglars but failed to revert to Nigerians about the development? 

“The whole security architecture are also yet to be ascertained how armed robbers gained access into the ‘well-fortified’ Presidential Villa manned by a combined team of policemen, DSS operatives, and men of the Presidential Guards Brigade of the Nigeria Army. Sadly, till date, this invasion has yet to be resolved.  

“Contrastively, more than 725 people have been arrested for storming the United State Capitol building on January 6, 2021. Over 71 rioters have also received criminal sentences, while the rest are waiting for their trials or haven’t yet reached plea agreements for charges ranging from obstruction of an official proceeding to assault.

“The continuous state of insecurity in Nigeria and the shameless incapacity of the security agencies to secure even the FCT is now obvious. If the security agents cannot even secure Aso Villa and the FCT that is about the smallest state if we take it to be a state and the seat of national power, then the hope of the common man is quashed.

“It’s pathetic that FCT residents now flee to the central business district of Abuja over attacks and invasion by marauding bandits in communities outside of the Central Areas of the metropolis. 

“The Buhari regime must wake up and proffer radical solutions to the insecurity situation in the country.

“Nigerians must also demand accountability from the security agencies because defence sector got the largest chunk of budget this year. why is nobody being punished for failing to safeguard lives of Nigerians despite that the cardinal role of the government is the security of lives and property? Enough is enough.”

Aprll 26, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

HURIWA CAUTIONS NIGERIA POLICE AGAINST UNLAWFUL ARRESTS IN IMO STATE

Prominent Civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has for the umpteenth time warned the men and officers of the Nigeria Police,  especially the Imo State  Police command to be professionally circumspect on how they go about arresting, coercing, parading and slamming allegations on people in Imo State just as the Rights group said media trial of suspects by the police especially in the South-East of Nigeria must be discouraged and discontinued so the principle of Rule of law is upheld all the times. 

The police, HURIWA insists, are not above the law and must comply totally with the provisions of the law since it is a creation of the law.

HURIWA has also cautioned the police to understudy the South East where they are posted from all parts of the Country, so they get acquainted with the socio-cultural practices and traditions of the people of the region to avoid the unlawful arrest of members of the African traditional Religions on the disguised allegations that they are using their shrines to pray for persons perceived as being responsible for the spate of attacks that targeted strategic national security assets in the South East of Nigeria.  HURIWA said security forces have consistently attacked shrines of African traditional worshippers and have had to parade them as collaborators with the so called unknown gunmen and at the end of the day, the police have failed to get any conviction from all these ARRESTS. 

HURIWA which condemned strongly the attacks on strategic national security assets and have also condemned the killing of police operatives, also accused the police in the South East of Nigeria and especially the Imo State command of the widespread use of extrajudicial execution of suspects in their detention facilities and during their security operations in parts of Imo State just as the Rights group said the allegations that police dump unidentified corpses of young Igbo boys in the Federal medical centre in Owerri, Imo State, is a serious indictments that must be investigated by the International Criminal Court in The Hagues Netherlands so those responsible for these crimes against humanity are prosecuted for these odious and gruesome killings. 

HURIWA also faulted the parade of a so-called bomb maker by the police in Imo State just as the Rights group said from the photo evidence of what the police termed bomb making equipment which they paraded with the lone suspect as celebrated in some sections of the Nigerian media, it would seem that what the police calls ‘bomb making’ materials are some locally fabricated non lethal explosives that are used during burials to shoot 21 gun salutes to deserving members of the Igbo communities which is in Igboland is called NKPO NA ANI. 

HURIWA recalled that The Imo State Police Command on Friday said it arrested and paraded a 50-year-old-man one Simeon Onigbo, suspected to be a bomb manufacturer for the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, used in attacking police stations and government facilities in the state.The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Micheal Abattam, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri.The command said it was last Wednesday it uncovered and raided the IPOB bomb manufacturing camp at Uba Umuaka in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, based on the credible information that was made available to the Police.

HURIWA however faulted the police going by the photo evidence of what the police paraded as bomb making materials because from available empirical data, those materials are what are used during Igbo burials all over Igbo land just as the Rights group has demanded that the Nigerian Bar Association Imo State,   Amnesty International, National Human Rights Commission and other credible NGOs be allowed to assess those materials being peddled around in the media as bombs so the Police is not allowed to undermine the traditions and customs of the Igbo in their unscientific haste to announce a breakthrough on the disturbing trends of civil unrest in parts of the South East of Nigeria. 

“The Imo State Police Command must toe the line of professionalism and competency and avoid the hasty parading of persons and their demonisation as criminals when the courts of law is yet to make any binding pronouncements and moreover section 36(5) of the Nigerian Constitution says all suspects are innocent in the eye of the law until a contrary pronouncements by courts of competent jurisdiction are made and not through police propaganda in the media”. 

Insecurity: HURIWA backs Obasanjo’s call for state police, says existing security apparatus has failed

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria,(HURIWA) on Friday, supported the call by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for state police to tackle the worsening security situation in Nigeria.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, stressed that the present security architecture of the country has failed, and there is no need to live in denial about it. 

HURIWA wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari undermined the agitation for state police because he thought the Northern Moslems have upper hands in the command and control of the police and in its hierarchical structure. But unknown to President Muhammadu Buhari the overwhelming and skewed domination of the Moslem Northern Nigeria of the police and other internal security institutions did not stop the North from becoming the hotbed of Islamic terrorists because some of those in control of these security infrastructures compromised National security interest due to their extreme Islamic affiliations to terrorists and left the North to become the points for smuggling of sophisticated military grade weapons by Non State actors of Fulani ethnicity. 

HURIWA cited the many terrorist attacks in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, and the entire North-East with the most recent one by the Islamic State of West Africa Province in the Ardo Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State where the insurgents claimed it bombed a drinking spot of “a gathering of infidel Christians”. Several lives were lost, and several others were injured in the explosion.

Also, HURIWA cited the abduction of 80-year-old founder of the Solid Rock Kingdom Church, Apostle John Okoriko, Akwa Ibom State, with the hoodlums demanding a ransom of N100m for his release.

HURIWA said with the rising spate of kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, bank robbery, ritual killings, rape cases, herdsmen attacks, amongst other vicious crimes, the creation of state police must be quick and the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari must be responsive about it.

According to reports, Obasanjo on Wednesday, said, “Our situation in Nigeria concerns everyone, particularly the case of terrorism. The case has gotten over the issue of community police. It is now state police. It is from that state police that we can now be talking about community police.”

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The general state of insecurity all over Nigeria and especially the crime of kidnapping and terrorism have become widespread because Nigeria is living a lie by claiming to be practicing federalism while the federating units do not legally have powers to control the security institutions.  

“Although there are some leeways that may be explored in the constitution for the states to create security vigilante but these crimes of kidnappings for ritual purposes and for ransom payments need to be stamped out. Also, terrorism must be stamped out. It is long overdue. 

“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was right that state police is the way forward as the existing security apparatus of the country has failed just as President Muhammadu Buhari has woefully failed in his constitutional role of protection of lives and properties. 

“There has to be a police reform. Nigeria must recaliberate and restructure urgently so the states have express powers over the security of their domains.

“The executive and the legislature must join hands together and impose stiff penalty of death by firing squads on convicted kidnappers and terrorists. The judiciary should also join this effort through the speedy dispensation of justice within weeks. 

“Governors like Babagana Zulum should also stop accommodating terrorism through nonsensical and irrational amnesty granted to so-called repentant insurgents whom they claim surrender their arms after killing, kidnapping and raping thousands of innocent Nigerians. Such things as amnesty is intolerable and condemnable as it would buoy more terrorists and kidnappers to continue their heinous crimes knowing well that they would be granted amnesty later in the future. Granting amnesty to bloody terrorists without letting the law take its full course is a sabotage of the Nigerian Constitution”.

“There must be stringent measures against terrorists and kidnappers to serve as deterrent and send strong signals to the enclaves of those Jihadist enemies of Nigeria who suck the blood of Christians while the President, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force and others look away.”

Aprll 22, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

It’s sad soldiers who should fight Kaduna terrorists are protecting Fulani cows in Ondo – CSO

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria,(HURIWA) on Wednesday, said it is very unfortunate that soldiers who should be deployed to confront savage terrorists overrunning Kaduna State are wasting away in Ondo State, protecting Fulani cows.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, described as a blatant misplacement of priority, the deployment of soldiers in the entire Southern region of Nigeria including the South-West and South-East zones for purposes such as protection of herders and their cattle.

The group urged the military authorities to recall a sizeable percentage of troops posted to Southern Nigeria and redeploy them to Kaduna to combat bloodthirsty terrorists who have daily invaded the North-West state in the last two weeks, wreaking unprintable havoc including ghoulish killings, bombings and kidnappings.

According to news reports, terrorists killed 17 soldiers and wounded 40 others in an attack at a military base in Polwire, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna this week. This was barely a week after the marauders bombed an Abuja-Kaduna train, killing scores and injuring hundreds while many are still unaccounted for. 

The insurgents numbering over 200 had also invaded the Kaduna International Airport, killed an airspace worker and injured many other airport staff, even as they forced a plane from taking off from the airport. Many pockets of gruesome and macabre attacks have been recorded in the last two weeks in Kaduna. The death toll emanating from Kaduna in the last two years is concerning with over 2,000 murdered and over 5,000 killed by terrorists hitherto labelled bandits.

But just as the terrorists are unfortunately overrunning Kaduna, classified a war zone by Governor Nasir el-Rufai and presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, men of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Akure are gallivanting in Ondo, demanding the release of Fulani cows seized by the Ondo State Security Network Agency also known as Amotekun Corps for violating the state anti-open grazing law.

Reacting in the statement released on Wednesday, HURIWA’s Onwubiko described the deployment of soldiers in relatively peaceful states of Southern Nigeria as a misplacement of priority.

Onwubiko said, “It is an established fact that Kaduna State is a war zone going by the carnage committed by terrorists in the last two weeks, especially and going by the description of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai; as well as presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina. 

“The onslaught by audacious terrorists is unprecedented in the entire North-West and akin to the Boko Haram/ISWAP ferocious attacks in the North-East.

“However, instead of deploying most of its men to the theatre of war to stamp out terrorists overrunning Kaduna State and having a field’s day, the Nigerian Army, sadly, is more concerned about the safety of trespassing cows than the thousands of innocent Nigerians killed by insurgents in Kaduna State month in, month out. This is most unfortunate.

“This sort of misplacement of priority abound in media reports of the past seven years because the Federal Government in Abuja elevated cows to a sacred position far above the sanctity of life. This is why the combat readiness of soldiers are declining because they are being deployed for roles they are unsuited for due to selfish reasons. This is indeed why rampaging Fulani terrorists are killing soldiers and bombing down military jets and nobody is called to account.

“HURIWA urges the service chiefs to face reality and put away ethnic sentiments. Kaduna needs all the soldiers that the military can muster now. War, aside weapon sophistry, is also about numerical strength. Apparently, the terrorists are recruiting en masse. For 200 terrorists to invade an airport at once? Who knows how many hundreds of them bombed the Abuja-Kaduna train, amongst other vicious attacks. The service chiefs should act fast and deploy soldiers lagging away in Southern Nigeria to Kaduna, the new theatre of war in Nigeria. The earlier the better. A word is enough for the wise, the elders say.” 

Aprll 6, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

Defend Yourselves Against Your Attackers: SOKAPU Youth Charges Southern Kaduna

Following renewed attacks across Southern Kaduna, the Youth wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has charged the people of the area to defend themselves against those they tagged “criminal Fulani terrorists” operating in the area.

In a statement signed by the National Youth Leader, Comrade Isaac John and made available to Middle Belt Times, the group described as worrisome the continued attacks, killings and destruction of properties in the area.

The statement reads in full;

Brethren, we must have observed the reccuring Spade of attacks and killings taking place across our communities in the last few weeks.

Last night Maraban Agban Kagoro came under attack with scores killed, properties and houses burnt by the same terrorists Fulani herders who have vowed to die attacking our kinsmen, one thing we are sure of is the unarguable fact that they shall continue to labour in vain.

it is however worrisome the manner with which this criminals continued to operate with no deliberate attempt by security bodies to intervane or stops these criminal Fulani terrorists from attacking our communities.

The Youth Wing of Southern kaduna People’s Union is again at this time compelled to say Government both at the State and Federal levels have failed to put an end to this mindless attacks on our people and arrest perpetrators.

We are calling on all Sons and Daughters across Southern Kaduna in the face of these cruel killings to defend yourselves in the proportionate ways and manners your lives seems threaten.

We urge us all not to sit and watch while our kinsmen are led to slaughter like lambs, our lands taken, our children butchered and our sisters and daughters raped to death.

Let us be reminded that every inch of Land in Southern Kaduna is an inheritance from our forefathers and remains the exclusive entitlement of our offsprings.

We cannot abandoned or cedes an inch of Southern Kaduna to any coward at this time, not when our forefathers and fathers died protecting it.

It is a noble duty we hand over same which was handed to us to our offsprings.

Brethren fear not the sounds and echoes of death.

For if God is with us, who can stand against us.

“For the LORD our God is he that goeth with us, to fight for us against our enemies, to save us.” Deuteronomy 20:4

Above all brethren lets continue to look up to the heavens from where cometh our help.

God bless Southern Kaduna

End of statement…

On Sunday, terrorists suspected to be Fulani herdsmen launched an attack on Mararaban Agban Kagoro in Kaura local government area of Kaduna state, killing scores and destroying dozens of houses. As at the time of filing this report, the exact number of persons killed and properties destroyed are yet to be ascertained.

EXCLUSIVE: Kaduna Community Accuses Nigerian Military of Burning Their Houses & Churches

…Ward Councillor Said army had confrontation with Boko Haram terrorists in the area

Residents of Galuwyi in Kunai Ward of Chikun local government area of Kaduna state have accused the Nigerian army of carrying out what they described as arson in their community on January 29, 2022.

A resident of the community who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity, citing fears to his life and safety, recounted his terrible experience on the day of the ugly incident.

“It happened on the 29 of January at about 12:25pm while we were in our respective houses relaxing.

“Suddenly we began to hear gunshots in our community close to the river that is between us and the neighboring community, Kabrasha. We saw men of the Nigerian army coming into our community in large number. People began to run helter skelter for their lives.

“Later we got to know that the army were exchanging gunfire with bandits, the army obviously overpowered the bandits and the bandits ran away while the army crossover into our community.

“When they got into our community, they began to set our houses on fire.” He recounted

The source further recalled that after setting their houses, stores and even animals on fire, the army went to two Churches in the community; Baptist and Assemblies of God Churches and set both ablaze.

“After setting our houses, stores and cattle on fire, the military shifted to the two churches in the town Jimrewa Baptist church and Assemblies of God church. In the assemblies of God church, they gathered all the musical gadgets and burnt them down while the Baptist church was burnt down completely leaving nothing to be removed from it.” He said

This reporter also gathered that residents of Galuwyi are currently seeking refuge in Sabon Gaya, a suburb of Kaduna while a few aged men and women who couldn’t leave due to their old ages are left in the burnt community under harsh weather conditions.

This reporter reached out to the Ward Councillor of Kunai Ward, Honorable Lawal Danjuma who also confirmed the incident but claimed that the military were chasing terrorists in the area.

“I don’t have much details but what i can tell you is that there was a confrontation between the soldiers and Boko Haram in the area which led to the military allegedly burning down the communities to avoid the terrorists from hiding there.” Danjuma said.

When asked about the burning of two churches in the community, the Councillor said he doesn’t have much information on that but promised to speak to a local vigilante member from a nearby community who was with the military on the day of the operation.

Efforts to get more information from the Ward councillor proved abortive as he claimed he hasn’t been able to reach the vigilante official whom he claimed was with the military on the day of the incident.

Galuwyi community is situated around the Kaduna river which shares boundary with Niger state, a state where Boko Haram terrorists hoisted their flag last year.

This is not the first time a community in Chikun local government is accusing the Nigerian Military of destroying their homes and churches.

In December 2020, Kasnawi village in Chikun ward accused the Nigerian Airforce of carrying out aerial bombardments on their community, killing six people and injuring four. Several houses were also destroyed by the Airforce on the same day.

Recalled also that in May 2020, an Assemblies of God Church was hit by an Airforce munition in Kabarashi community.

Reacting to the incident, the Kaduna State Government said that the damage done to the Assemblies of God’s Church, Kabarashi village in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state was not intentional. The commissioner of Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan said the munitions that hit the church were targeted at bandits terrorising the state and said that Governor Nasir El-Rufai, had directed that the damage be assessed for necessary action.

Report linked Serving Police, Military Officers to bandits – El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna state has said that the report of a preliminary investigation linked some serving police and military officers to terrorists terrorizing parts of the State.

The governor, who spoke on Thursday during the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Media Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the investigation revealed that the security officers have some form of communication with the assailants.

He, however, declared that the government is yet to have a clear evidence to back the report of the investigation, stressing that a lot of works still needed to be done.

He said, “we’re concerned and it’s not impossible to have infiltrators. As I alluded to when I was answering this question, the preliminary report of (investigation into) Boko Haram financing also showed some links to bandits and pointed to some police and military officers in service as having some communication or connection with the bandits.

“So, there’s always that risks, in any system you have traitors and we are concerned about that. But till date, we don’t have any firm evidence of that. I think a lot more work needs to be done”.

According to the Governor, there is the urgent need to stop the financing and logistics chain of the bloodthirsty bandits, stressing that the amount of money the bandits are making from ransom is enough to destabilize Nigeria.