The spokesperson of the Ilana Omo Oodua, Maxwell Adeyemi has explained that the group will have a meeting on Sunday to decide whether or not to accept the invitation of the Indigenous People of Biafra to join the proposed one-month sit-at-home.
Recall that IPOB, in a statement issued by the Media and Public Secretary of the group, Emma Powerful, enjoined other agitators for self-determination from other ethnic nationalities in the country to join its one-month sit-at-home protest commencing on October 21.
According to him, the one-month protest would be subject to the refusal of the Directorate of State Services to bring its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to court on the said date.
The group alleged that it had learnt that there was a plan by the Nigerian Government not to bring Kanu to court on that day as a ploy to continue to incarcerate him.
When SaharaReporters reached out to Ilana Omo Oodua, the umbrella body for the Yoruba self-determination groups, the spokesman, Adeyemi said he could not make a statement at the time due to its sensitive nature.
According to him, there is a meeting scheduled for Sunday where the IPOB’s proposal will be discussed and a decision taken as to whether the group will join in the sit-at-home protest or not.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, he said, “That is a very sensitive issue. When we have our meeting on Sunday, we’ll let you know our position. It is a very sensitive matter, and I cannot solely speak about it. We’ll have our meeting on Sunday.”
In June, Kanu leader was arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria to face treason charges.
He was subsequently arraigned and brought before Binta Nyako, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who asked him to be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Kanu is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony instituted against him at the court in response to his agitation for the Republic of Biafra.
The scheduled trial in July suffered a setback, with the judge adjourning till October 21.
Calls For The Release Of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu And For IPOB To Embrace Genuine Dialogues.
“Not too long ago, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the Harvard Kennedy School in the United States said in a report that Nigeria as a nation is at the point of no return, having showed all the signs of a failed nation. Upon giving examples of other failed states in the world, the Report added: Each lacks security, is unsafe, has weak rules of law, is corrupt, limits political participation and voice, discriminates within its borders against various classes and kinds of citizens and provides educational and medical services sparingly. Most of all, failed states are violent. All failed states harbor some form of violent internal strife, such as civil war or insurgency. Nigeria now confronts six or more internal insurrections and the inability of the Nigerian state to provide peace and stability to its people has tipped a hitherto very weak state into failure”.
Provoked by the above and as Nigeria marks her 61st anniversary of independence, the foremost civil rights advocacy group; Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has berated the woes and disaster brought upon Nigeria by the incompetence, ineptitude, insensitivity, high-handedness and nepotism of the political class over the past many years since independence. The group said the current administration has lowered the bar of good governance and has abandoned Nigerians to the vagaries abd uncertainties of conflicts entrepreneurs, arms smughlers, terrorists and the Rights group said the President made the mistake of a life time by surrounded himself with ethnic warlords such as his Senior Special Assistant on media and Publicity Alhaji Garba Shehu who is clearly working to advance the selfish and pedestrian interests of his Fulani and Islamic groups and affiliations using Public platform and resources. HURIWA has also challenged the President to initiate concrete, genuine and deep national reconciliation and dialogue and check the rising Ethno-religious vendetta and diatribes being stoked by Garba Shehu abd other Ethno-religious warlords embedded in his government.
In a statement, signed by the National coordinator; Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA carpeted the nation’s political class for their collective and classical lack of leadership acumen and capacity to manage the country’s diversities just as the rights group highlighted the gross incompetence of cabinet ministers in handling the complexity of modern governance coupled with their overwhelming abd overbearing toxic clumsiness in grappling with the sophisticated challenges of development and their feeble approach to complex dynamics of global politics contributed into plunging Nigeria to her current gulf.
“It is an axiom that Nigeria is richly endowed by providence with human and material resources critical for national development and advancement. However, the experience of Nigerians since 2015 has been piercing. Before then, Nigeria was the third fastest growing economy in the world next to China and India with a growth rate of close to seven per cent. The economy contracted immediately after the swearing in of President Buhari who took more than six months to constitute his cabinet and sadly the cabinet ministers are mostly opportunistic cash guzzling politicians with zero commitment to Nigeria’s national economic revolution and advancement.
“Growth rate collapsed to less than two per cent. Since then there have been two economic recessions, with the dollar value of the naira dipped as inflation and cost of living went to the blues. Inability of Government to arrest the decline has led to loss of confidence in the government, which has been overpowered by an unprecedented security challenges that made insurgency, kidnapping, bloodletting and sophisticated criminal activities daily characteristics of terribly struggling nation.
“Thus, Nigeria has continued to meander the path befitting failed, weak and “juvenile” states. A state that had very great prospects at independence and was touted to lead Africa out of the backwoods of underdevelopment and economic dependency, Nigeria is still stuck in the league of very poor, corrupt, underdeveloped, infrastructurally decaying, crisis-riven, morally bankrupt and leadership-deficient countries of the South. Rather than become an exemplar for transformational leadership, modern bureaucracy, national development, national integration and innovation, Nigeria seems to be infamous for whatever is mediocre, corrupt, insanely violent and morally untoward”, HURIWA noted.
Hence, HURIWA posited that Nigeria is a victim of poor leadership and convoluted systemic corruption, which in the rights group’s analysis has become pervasive and cancerous in the country’s national life while adding that several pundits have identified the inexorable nexus between leadership crisis and corruption in the country as the continued reason for Nigeria’s inglorious economic throes, political convolutions and national underdevelopment.
Continuing, HURIWA averred that it is disturbing to note that while Nigeria is the third most terrorized country in the world, next to Afghanistan and Iraq, Federal Government actions presently are centered on cows in such a way that Cows are more secure in Nigeria than Nigerians just as the herders are armed to the teeth to the knowledge of Government authorities.
“Security challenges have gotten to the highest level in Nigeria with bloodletting becoming normal. Insurgency, kidnapping and sophisticated criminal activities are daily features of terribly stressed citizenry. In the past few months, about 2000 Christian lives have been lost in various theatres of “war” in the country.
“Between December 2020 and March 2021, gangs of bandits seeking lucrative ransom kidnapped a total of 769 students from their boarding schools and other educational facilities across northern Nigeria in at least five separate incidents. Leaders take sides with cows than with Nigerians”.
Also, HURIWA revealed that Nigeria’s public debt stock, which has reached $84billion with debt service costs gulping about 80 percent of entire government’s revenue, Nigeria’s external debt increased by 117.4 per cent from $12.6 billion in 2015 to $27.4 billion by the end of 2019.
Furthermore, the rights group expressed worries that between March and June 2020, a total of $10.26 billion new debt was approved by the National Assembly while other approvals for more loans were also given this 2021.
“These have ominous economic implications particularly with intangible evidence of what these funds are being invested in. With low productivity of the Nigerian workforce, the Federal Government has no repayment plan that will not be very hurtful to the unborn.
“As such, the burden is already very heavy. The recently published 2021 budget implementation report stated that the Federal Government spent a total of N1.8 trillion on debt servicing in the first five months of the year, representing about 98 per cent of the total revenue generated in the same period. These are indicators that the current leadership in Nigeria suffers from extreme moral depravity and attitudinal debauchery.
“Of the four administrations who have led Nigeria since her return to democracy in 1999, the current administration holds the worst record in terms of economic growth. Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime from 1999 to 2007 had an average growth rate of 6.9 per cent. His immediate successor Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua did even better in his two years with an average growth rate of 7.6 per cent while Goodluck Jonathan delivered 5 per cent growth rate in his six-year term as President that ended in 2015.
“However, Nigeria’s GDP per capita declined by 0.02 per cent, 4.16 per cent and 1.78 per cent in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, it declined by 0.68 per cent, 0.38 per cent and 4.57 per cent. Six years of contracting per capita has wrecked grievous pain on businesses and households”, HURIWA explained.
Relatedly, HURIWA also used the occasion of the 61 independence celebration of Nigeria to call for cessation of conflicts and attacks in the South East of Nigeria so dialogue can be embraced.
“It has been over 50 years since the civil war resulted in over a million deaths. There is a need to reflect on such brutality by citizens against each other, and the reasons for the resurgent agitation for the state of Biafra five decades after the war.
“There is a need to know the roots of the agitation, understand the claim of unequal treatment in terms of federal appointments and infrastructure development, and allegations of victimhood and poor responses from the government.
“These issues have to be discussed by the government and stakeholders in the region. The government should create a forum for discussion on what needs to be done for Igbos to feel that they belong and are not alienated in Nigeria”.
“Those who howl against agents of secession without acknowledging reasons for such agitations are not sincere. There is no arguing the fact that incalculable harm has been inflicted on the national psyche. Nigerians should use the opportunity of the 61st anniversary of independence to introspect. Where did the rain start beating this once promising country? This should be a time for stocktaking.
“What are the prospects of pulling the country back from the brink? Can Nigeria rediscover itself? These are the questions that should concentrate all minds. As 2023 signals, there must be a concerted effort to walk away from the despicable subway vision of nepotism and this general anomie of despondency.
“Conscious effort must be made by all to build a nation around a vision that promotes common good. Fairness, equity and justice must be the pivot around which any agenda to save Nigeria revolves because sustenance of the Nigerian Federation demands a union of equals”, HURIWA advised.
Conclusively, HURIWA called for the strict enforcement of the suspension of the insane Monday’s sit at home order as well as the United Nations for intervention and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. HURIWA is appealing to all aggrieved youths in Nigeria not to embrace crimes or banditry but to strive resolutely to empower themselves with whatever life skills they can lay their hands on and busy themselves with mobilising their peers for the coming polls so the political transformation we all seek may be attained when the youths decide to reject cash for votes approach of the currebt political class and elect credible persons who will govern Nigeria in the fear of God. We appeal to the aggrieved youths of the South East of Nigeria to avoid all kinds of violence and attacks against strategic national security assets in the South East and to protect the South East of Nigeria from the attacks of the so called unknown gunmen.
COMRADE EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO:
NATIONAL COORDINATOR:
HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).
Northern Governors are the most useless set of Governor’s in the world. They don’t meet to discuss ideas of how to improve life, add value to their states. The only time they meet is when discussing Social Media Bill or Presidency.
We have 19 Northern States. Out of that 19, only 2 are viable. Kano, maybe Kaduna. The rest are over glorified States who’s main idea of States is Federal Allocation.
This jokers did not meet to end banditry, nor did they meet to end terrorism, let alone talk economic growth and how to foster development across the regions.
But these howlers will come and be threaten everyone how power must remain in the North. When you talk they claim they have the numbers.
Yes, you have the highest numbers of out of school children, with time BH & banditry will be child’s play, because those you fail to empower and educate will have no option than to take up arms.
Yes, you have the highest number of Girl child marriage. In some states, girls within the age of 10 – 12 are married off. That is why VVF have become rampant in NW States. Because their men don’t know anyone other than raping young children in the name of marriage.
Yes, you have the lowest GDP in the country, you produce nothing of commercial value. Your land that could be use to produce large farm products that could be use for industry are tents for terrorist.
The only thing you know is Power. Power without value. Power without making a difference. Power without control.
I am a Northerner. And I speak for majority of the sane ones. Power sharing is not our problem. Our problem is lack of Peace, Progress and Prosperity.
I want industry, trade, tourism and employment. Anyone parading himself as my leader should share that common interest with us.
I want food, employment, education, roads and access to credit to establish myself. I am tired of running everywhere with no hope.
The National President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Bitrus Pogu, has dissociated the region from the resolution of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) as regards the power shift come 2023.
Governors from the northern region had opposed the claim from their southern counterparts that the next president should be from the south.
According to the northern governors’ forum, the claim is not in line with the dictates of the constitution.
“The Forum observed that some Northern State Governors had earlier expressed views for a power-shift to three geopolitical zones in the South with a view to promoting unity and peace in the nation. Notwithstanding their comments, the Forum unanimously condemns the statement by the Southern Governors Forum that the Presidency must go to the South.
“The statement is quite contradictory with the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended, that the elected President shall: score the majority votes; score at least 25% of the votes cast in 2/3 States of the Federation. In the case of run-up, simple majority wins the election.”
Reacting, the MBF chairman told Vanguard, “the Governors of the North should first and foremost realize that there is nothing like a monolithic North again.
“Secondly, they should know that the Middle Belt can never be part of such a position that is anti-people. So they should all hide their faces in shame for saying power will not go to the south in 2023.
“They should remember that because of what happened to Abiola, in 1999 we zone the presidency to the South West, not just South. The country has maintained that rotation so that peace can reign in the country and no part of the country will feel alienated.
“Therefore, in this situation, for them to insist that presidency should be retained in the North after that zone has completed its eight years tenure in 2023, is a shame.
“It means they want Nigeria to break up. That is what they are after. They are not lovers of Nigeria. They are the people who hate Nigeria and it is obvious by the position they took yesterday.
“But they must realize that the Middle Belt is not with them because there is no more monolithic North. Even the traditional rulers of Middle Belt who were invited to that meeting in Kaduna were not with them. They were in attendance and watched what transpired but I can assure you that their hearts were not there.”
The prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group:-HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) is arguing that the current Federal government has no basis in law and morality to detain Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or proscribe the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) because the Southern and Northern governors have by their actions, inactions, speeches and conflicts around which zone between North/South produces the successor to president Muhammadu Buhari have demonstrated that they are secessionists higher than Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB. The HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) said there is no basis for Northern Nigeria to insist on producing the successor to the Katsina State born president Muhammadu Buhari if their intention is not to move for the eventual split of Nigeria in 2023 which is inevitable should Northern Nigeria produce the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari whowill quit in 2023 after serving for two straight terms of eight years as President. HURIWA argues further that it is constitutionally compliant that the Office of the President of Nigeria to rotate between North and South because the Constitution provides for integration in section 15 from subsection 1 to 4 thus-: ” 15. (1) The motto of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress. (2) Accordingly, national integration shall be actively encouraged, whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association or ties shall be prohibited. (3) For the purpose of promoting national integration, it shall be the duty of the State to: (a) provide adequate facilities for and encourage free mobility of people, goods and services throughtout the Federation. (b) secure full residence rights for every citizen in all parts of the Federation. (c) encourage inter-marriage among persons from different places of origin, or of different religious, ethnic or linguistic association or ties; and (d) promote or encourage the formation of associations that cut across ethnic, linguistic, religious and or other sectional barriers. (4) The State shall foster a feeling of belonging and of involvement among the various people of the Federation, to the end that loyalty to the nation shall override sectional loyalties.” HURIWA said: “We are ever more convinced beyond the shadows of doubts that the actions, inactions, speeches, threats made by governors of North versus South have shown that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his unarmed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) are prisoners of conscience and the members and leader of this otherwise proscribed IPOB must be released immediately since even the governors who are exercising constitutional powers are saying those same divisive sentiments and positions espoused by IPOB”.
“In Fact the governors are terrorizing the peace of Nigeria by failing to peacefully agree to the transfer of presidential power from the North to the South in 2023 which is the irreducible minimum condition precedent for Nigeria to remain as a United entity beyond 2023. The arguments and actions of the governors, the president and the Northern dominated Appeal Court on the collection of the value added tax shows that the presidency, the governors and the courts are now to be categorized as functional secessionists because these divisiveness and actions are stoking up tensions in Nigeria and are capable of inflaming passion and creating uncontrollable schism between North and South and eventually dovetail into a civil conflict which may lead to the division of Nigeria by 2023”, HURIWA added. The statement was signed by Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko National Coordinator and Miss Zainab Yusuf the National Director of Media and made available to journalists in Abuja. HURIWA recalled that Southern Governors had met previously and ruled that Nigeria’s next president should be from the southern part of the country, governors of the southern states have said.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting, which held in Lagos ,Monday, reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to the unity of the country.
“The Forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness, and unanimously agreed that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between southern and northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the south,” Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo state governor, said on behalf of the Southern Governors Forum (SGF).
Nigeria’s next president should be from the southern part of the country, governors of the southern states have said.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting, which held in Lagos ,Monday, reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to the unity of the country.
“The Forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness, and unanimously agreed that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between southern and northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the south,” Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo state governor, said on behalf of the Southern Governors Forum (SGF).
Similar, the Governors of North also met and ruled that the South must never get the slot for the President of Nigeria in 2023 because they reasoned that rotational presidency is unconstitutional. HURIWA however said the Constitution recognises the People of Nigeria as the owners of the Sovereignty of Nigeria abd therefore can decide to rotate the office of the President of Nigeria just as the Rights group said even under the Federal character principles in section 14(3) rotating the office of President in 2023 from North to South is lawful because it guarantees that every part of Nigeria feels a sense of belonging.
Engineer Salasi Musa of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has dealt his All Progressives Congress’ counterpart a bloody nose in the just concluded Chikun local government Chairmanship election. Salasi was declared winner on Monday morning having scored the highest number of votes in the polls.
The Peoples Democratic Party candidate scored a total of 19,402 votes to clinch the Chairmanship position ahead of his main rival Honorable Samaila Leeman of the All Progressives Congress APC.
Announcing the results at the local government secretariat, the returning officer, Dr Sanusi Gambo said the All Progressives Congress candidate scored a total of 14,829 to come second in the keenly contested election. The PDP also won 8 out of the 12 Wards in the local government while the APC won 4.
Chikun local government has been without an elected Chairman since 2015 following the cancellation of the 2018 Chairmanship election where the Peoples Democratic Party were believed to be on it’s way to victory before thugs loyal to the APC disrupted the process leading to the cancellation of the polls and subsequent appointment of caretaker Chairman over the council, a decision recently declared nullity by a Kaduna High Court.
The election was adjudged free and fair by residents of the council as they say that attempts to rig the election were vehemently resisted by the electorates who did not only vote but stood to defend their votes and ensure they count.
HURIWA Urges States to Stop Funding Support For Police And to Create Quasi Policing Body For Anti-Open Grazing Law
Angered by the report that as more southern states move to checkmate rising attacks of farmers by armed Fulani herdsmen with the enactment of anti-open grazing law, there is reportedly what is graphically described as palpable conspiratorial silence from the police hierarchy over its willingness to prosecute violators of the law, a call has gone to the Inspector General of Police Alhaji Usman Alkali Baba to order the state commands of the Nigerian Police Force to enforce the anti-open grazing laws in the states in which the states Houses of Assembly had passed the law or he quits as the lawfully recognised Inspector General of Police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria so he can head the FULANI POLICE FORCE.
Making the demand is the nation’s prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) which expressed the importance of the holder of the office of the Inspector General of Police to comply totally with the constitutional mandates that his office confers on him or he will be inducted into the National Hall of Shame and infamy as someone who used his office to serve the selfish, clandestine and parochial interest of the armed Terrorists and Fulani herdsmen who have vowed to disobey the lawfully passed legislation in some States in Nigeria which outlaws open grazing of Livestock of all genre. HURIWA condemned the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami for constituting himself into a cog in the wheel of the progressive enforcement of the lawfully passed legislation against open grazing of cattle just as the Rights group said the ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION by demonstrated this deep level of loyalty to Fulani herdsmen should resign forthwith.
Besides, the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked the States that enacted the legislation against open grazing of Livestock to set up a State wide armed vigilantes to carry out the enforcement of the provisions of the law because the law is constitutionally guaranteed under section 4(7) which authorises States Houses of Assembly to make laws for the good governance and security of the good people of their States. HURIWA said the states can actually take steps to enforce laws made in their States if Kano State can set up ISLAMIC POLICE which contravenes sections 10 and 214 of the Nigerian constitution so why are the states waiting for the unwilling IGP who is a willing tool of the oppressors in Abuja to ask their men to respect the law of Nigeria.
Specifically, Section 4 subsection 7 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 (as amended) provides that: “Section 4(7) The House of Assembly of a State shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the State or any part thereof with respect to the following matters, that is to say:-
(a) any matter not included in the Exclusive Legislative List set out in Part I of the Second Schedule to this Constitution.
(b) any matter included in the Concurrent Legislative List set out in the first column of Part II of the Second Schedule to this Constitution to the extent prescribed in the second column opposite thereto; and
(c) any other matter with respect to which it is empowered to make laws in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.
HURIWA submits that similarly, Section 214. (1) establishes the Police as the policing institution of all parts of Nigeria and not for Fulani herdsmen. Section 214(1) states thus: “There shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section no other police force shall be established for the Federation or any part thereof”.
HURIWA stated thus: “The findings made recently by a respected newspaper in Nigeria that the policemen are careful over these new state laws which implies that the police operatives paid with tax payer’s money belonging to the good citizens of Nigerians have been brainwashed by some Fulani Ethnic warlords embedded within the Abuja’s Seat of Power not to enforce the laws passed by the different States against public grazing of Livestock.”
HURIWA stated further: “This is a very dangerous threat to Nigeria’s national security and it is even worst because the persons being misused to undermine the security of some states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria are policemen who according to the clear provisions of the constitution are bound to implement lawfully passed laws in all states of the federation and the Ethnic interest of the holder of the office of President should not matter in the enforcement of the laws of Nigeria”.
“It is disgraceful that Nigeria Police Force is now an institution led by Ethnic warlords who are affiliates of Fulani herders because investigation showed that herders still graze their animals openly in many states that have enacted the anti-open grazing law without being intercepted by law enforcement agents”, HURIWA affirms.
“Reports say in Abia State where Governor Okezie Ikpeazu signed the anti-open grazing law on June 29, 2018, open grazing of cattle, sheep and goats were still practiced following its poor implementation. The Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, however, stated that the enforcement of the law is vested in the hands of security agencies, particularly the police.”
HURIWA said the decision made specifically on May 11, 2021, by the governors of the 17 southern states, after a meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, was constitutionally guaranteed and protected given that the Governors resolved to ban open grazing and the movement of cattle by foot in order to curb clashes between farmers and herders in the region.
“The governors had observed that the incursion of armed herders, criminals and bandits in the southern part of the country has created a severe security challenge, such that citizens were no longer able to live their normal lives, including pursuing various productive activities, leading to threats to the food supply, general security and sometimes death. Consequently, they resolved that open grazing of cattle should be banned across southern Nigeria via a law enacted by the state Houses of Assembly not later than September 1, this year,” HURIWA added.
The Rights group citing media reports recalled that earlier before the resolution was made by the Governors of Southern States of Nigeria, five southern states comprising Ekiti, Ebonyi, Abia, Oyo and Bayelsa had enacted anti-open grazing laws. However, the resolution prompted six more states in the region to follow suit. These include Rivers, Ondo, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, Osun and Lagos states. This brings the total number of states in the South that has so far prohibited open grazing in their jurisdictions via legislation to 11.Additionally, Delta and Ogun states Houses of Assembly have passed the bill but their governors were yet to give their assent, while in Anambra State, the bill has scaled through the first reading.
HURIWA said the disobedience by the Inspector General of Police Alhaji Usman Alkali Baba to the laws passed by different states against open grazing of cattle amounts to sabotage and endangers the National Security even as the Rights group asked the concerned States to cut off all forms of partnership funding supports with and to the current distorted structure of the police since it is now clear that the Nigerian Police Force has become the Fulani Police force and thereafter the States should set up armed vigilantes to carry out the enforcement of the anti-open grazing law just as the AMOTEKUN SECURITY NETWORK is doing lawfully in some States of the South West States of Nigeria.
“It is basic and constitutionally binding that the Nigerian Police Force is empowered by the Constitution to carry out the fundamental functions as observed by experts as follows: the Prevention And Detection Of Crimes
This role of prevention and detection is one of the statutory functions of the Nigerian Police Force. The Nigerian police Force in as part of the larger bodies of the law enforcement agencies in the country, do place its priority in the prevention and detection of crime,secondly, the Protection Of Lives And Properties
Another functions of the Nigerian Police Force is to protect lives and properties. As the law enforcement agency, the Nigerian Police is saddles with the responsibility of ensuring that the lives and properties of Nigerian citizens are protected within their individual domain; thirdly, the duty of Preservation Of Law And Order
Nigerian Police Force is empowered through the instructions from the directive of the appointing authority to ensure that, there is public order and safety in Nigeria. The Nigerian Police Force must of necessity be ready to carry out the Performance Of Such Military Responsibility Required Of Police Force
Another function of the Nigerian Police is that, it undertakes some of the military responsibilities which may be required of the Police Force by law as part of its functions”.
HURIWA is therefore appealing to the Southern Nigeria states to defend the Constitution by compelling the Nigerian Police Force to carry out their duties and pressures can be mounted if the states cuts off all funding components they give to the police, set up state vigilantes and institute a legal challenge to force the Council of State to sack the IGP just as HURIWA asked the States to stop funding the Police Trust Fund for now.
Reminiscing on how young Nigerians in all six geopolitical zones united around a common goal to end police intimidation, oppression, and brutality, the leading Civil Society Group; HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has condemned the illegal and gestapo operational modalities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement issued by the National Coordinator; Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the Rights group frowned at the new way officials of the EFCC chase after suspected criminals by breaking into people’s homes describing it as detrimental to the enjoyment of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights recognised in chapter four of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and all relevant international human rights laws just as the Rights group says the officials of the Anti-Graft Agency are by these provocative and illegal actions enticing Nigerians to stage a nationwide protests similar to the #ENDSARS PROTESTS against the misconducts of the EFCC.
HURIWA warned that the EFCC, being a creation of the law must be law abiding and so tagged the modalities of operations in which operatives armed to the teeth go into people’s houses in the dead of the night like armed robbers and kidnappers, breaking into people’s houses and climbing in through the fences like hired assassins are antithetical to the law and the principle of the rule of law.
“These unlawful actions are definitely aimed as triggers to instigate the masses to stage; the kinds of demonstrations that will be almost unprecedented in dimension and massive in scale.
HURIWA revealed that Section 36(5) of the constitution is very clear that even persons charged for criminal offence before the courts of law are deemed as innocent in the eyes of the law until a contrary determination is reached by a Court of competent jurisdiction.
“It is therefore unlawful that the operatives of the EFCC will continue to behave like outlaws or persons who are above the laws of the land. EFCC is subject to the law and must be seen to be operating in compliance with the precepts of the law and in strict compliance with the RULE OF LAW”, HURIWA averred.
Continuing, HURIWA expressed worries that there have been over a dozen clandestine operations by the EFCC in which these officials of the law have been seen defecating on the fundamental principles of the law, abusing with reckless abandon the Rules of Engagement as if Nigeria is a banana republic.
Noting that these kinds of crude, debased and bakward application of brute force by the operatives of the EFCC are absolutely condemnable, despicable, reprehensible, outrageous and provocative HURIWA warned that they be checked otherwise “the EFCC should watch and see that in the fullness of time the masses will demonstrate to say enough is enough.
“In recent times, several people have made complaints concerning officials of the EFCC barging into their homes and hotel rooms at odd hours of the day, unannounced. These men do not knock on doors or wait to be invited in, some do not come with warrants or any official notice, they just fly in, eyes darting about, and noses trying to pick the scent of criminals.
The Wednesday, September 22nd 2021 night invasion of the apartment of the Abia-based Journalist; Norah Okafor by operatives of the EFCC, which saw about 25 hooded EFCC operatives bursting into Norah’s apartment in the dead of the night, after disconnecting the wire used to electrify the fence, scaled the wall and broke the gate key to gain unfettered access into the building depicts a horror scene.
“After subjecting the poor lady and other occupants of the building to over two hours of grueling physical stress, emotional trauma and destruction of their properties in the name of searching for non-existent incriminating evidence, the operatives reportedly declared ‘we have just wasted our time’.
HURIWA sees this declaration as a wholehearted, voluntary expression and admission of a disastrous blunder of a mission; that they were in the wrong place clearly for the wrong reason and at the wrong time.
Furthermore, HURIWA recalled that on August 3, 2021, Big brother Naija (lockdown) celebrity; Dorathy Bachor had in a series of Instagram stories, narrated how at 4:45am, she ran out of her room after hearing a loud bang to find EFCC officials in her living room, who told her they were looking for someone who ran into her estate, and then asked her to stay in, lock her door and not say a word.
HURIWA again pointed out that in July 2021, filmmaker; Biodun Stephen also had narrated how officials of the EFCC, “dressed in black with wielding weapons”, barged into her hotel room at 3:00am claiming to be looking for someone, but later apologised because she turned out not to be who they were looking for.
“On February 4, 2021, a man reportedly jumped to his death from the 7th floor of a storey building when EFCC officials raided the 1004 estate in Victoria Island. There are also many other reports of EFCC officials forcing their way into hostels, people’s homes, into clubs, or disrupting night parties to round up people they think are internet fraudsters.
“On October 14, 2019, officials of the EFCC raided a nightclub in Oshogbo, Osun state and arrested 94 suspected fraudsters. On January 17, 2020, they rounded up 89 persons suspected to be involved in cybercrime at 360, a night club located at Ibadan.
“Observably, there is one word that is peculiar with all of these arrests: ‘suspected’. These people being rounded up are still suspected to be fraudsters, which means that investigations have not been carried out to pinpoint who, amongst them all, is the actual fraudster.
“So to get to the fraudsters, EFCC officials barge into innocent people’s homes and spaces, and leave a trail of panic-stricken, horrified, and emotionally traumatised citizens who came face to face with gun-wielding men in black, and perhaps watched their lives flash before their eyes.
“It is not even enough to have warrants or identify yourself after you have barged in, it is abysmal that security agents would even break down people’s doors, or jump people’s fences in the first place”.
Provoked that these days, it is difficult to differentiate between robbers and men of the EFCC as they seem to adopt the same tactics in carrying out their operations, HURIWA opined that EFCC is missing their job description while noting that looters are right in their faces but they are busy chasing regular folks.
“Today it’s N100m missing in a government office, tomorrow N40m, why don’t they go and catch those stealing the common wealth blind? Instead of bringing to justice suspected high profile politically exposed persons who jump from one political party to the All Progressives Congress and are given red carpet reception by the President, the EFCC has become agents of witch-hunt, targeting largely young people”.
Hence, HURIWA emphasized the need for the EFCC to be called to order and made to adopt law based procedures in going after suspected offenders while observing all the tenets and precepts of the fundamental human rights just as the Rights Group advised that the agency must adopt clinical and professional modus operandi that will be in compliance with all the rules of Engagement.
“Why not use surveillance and intelligence gathering to go after suspected offenders in the day time and make lawful arrests instead of behaving like armed robbers or armed Fulani militia members?” HURIWA queried.
Referencing the video released by the Dubai Police last year, which gave an account of the series of investigations carried out before the arrest of Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, known as Hushpuppi and his gang, HURIWA admonished that the EFCC can learn professionalism from the Dubai Police as actions such as breaking into people’s homes and parading those who are still suspects show the insensitivity afflicting the anti-graft agency. This is because, according to HURIWA, EFCC is meant to protect the people and the country against financial crimes, not terrorising people in the same breath
“Observably from the video, the investigation, dubbed Fox Hunt II, was carried out for about 4 months, during which his social media account, fraudulent activities, and the gang’s whereabouts were closely monitored. The Dubai e-police team were tracking Hushpuppi’s every move and taking notes of all his online activities, including all the fake pages of existing websites he and his team created to redirect their victims’ payment to their own accounts.
“They also found out all the corporate emails he and his team had hacked to send fake messages to clients to redirect financial details, and people’s bank details to their own account. Before his arrest, the Dubai police could tell exactly the number of people he had scammed and how much Hushpuppi had in his account.
“During the time of his arrest, they knew exactly where he and his team were, and at what time. They didn’t need to jump fences or break into innocent people’s homes to carry out the arrest. They knew their onions.
“There’s a peculiarity with which our security agents clamp down on those they perceive to be criminals, which includes inadequate investigation, violence, blood-shot eyes, high-pitched command voices, swiftness to inflict pain, and then for many, extortion.
“Perhaps, the EFCC is no different; their recent mode of operation in breaking-in, spreading panic, battering, bullying, and half-true accusations is consistently making a horseplay of an institution that is meant to operate with intelligence and facts.
“It is disturbing that EFCC has joined the bandwagon of uniformed men terrorising the Nigerian people”, Prior to now, waking up in the middle of the night or wee hours of the morning to see men clad in black with guns, one would assume being attacked by armed robbers. But with the increase in Controversial raids of public and private spaces by EFCC officers in recent months, it is might be apt to ask “who are you” when you see men jumping your fence, so they can introduce themselves and tell if they are thieves, burglars, or from the EFCC”, HURIWA concluded.
Honourable Cafra Boaz Caino popularly known as “The People’s Chairman” has suffered a humiliating defeat in the just concluded Kajuru local government Chairmanship elections held on Saturday.
Caino lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) candidate, Honourable Ibrahim Gajere who clinched the Chairmanship seat by a wide margin.
Announcing the results on Sunday in Kajuru, the Returning Officer, Dr Ibrahim DanMaraya said Ibrahim Gajere of the PDP polled 14,432 votes to defeat the immediate past Chairman and Candidate of the All Progressives (APC), Cafra Caino, who scored 9,095 votes.
The PDP also won nine councillorship seats, while the ruling APC won just one.
Cafra who many believe came to office in 2018 through the back door as the elections were said to have been won by the PDP but forces in the Kaduna state government House imposed Cafra against the will of the people.
It isn’t a list anyone would be proud of. In plain terms, it is a frightening list. But here it is in black and white: 6,319 persons arbitrarily and willfully killed; 3,672 kidnapped; N2, 805,049,748 paid as ransom; 6,483 widows and 25,050 orphans left behind by slain victims; 215,241 cows, 141,404 sheep, 20,600 of other animals (such as camels and donkeys) rustled; and 3,587 houses, 1,487 motor vehicles and motor cycles burnt.
Then a foot note to the list: Bandits operated 105 camps from which they launched deadly attacks on Zamfara, kill and steal the people’s properties at will; their leaders identified.
Grim figures, no doubt.
But this is just a small segment of the chilling report of the high wire banditry raging in Zamfara, but has now spilled into several states across the country, and consequently putting national security in jeopardy.
Other segments of the report include the indictment of several members of the traditional institution, top government officials and security forces.
As of the time Sunday Vanguard exclusively obtained the report last week, some of the men who engaged in the bloodletting Zamfara banditry had moved further North-West and North-Central, wreaking unprecedented havoc in Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna and Niger states.
No white paper on the far reaching recommendations of the committee that wrote the report has been issued two years after the report was submitted to Zamfara State government.
The slightest hint yet that something was being done on the implementation of the recommendations was made during the celebration of Democracy Day on June 12, 2021, about one and a half years after the 279 page report had been submitted, when Governor Mohammed Bello Matawalle said, in a broadcast, that he had demonstrated commitment to the implementation of the report with the suspension of the emirs of Maru, Dansadau and Zurmi, who, among several others, had been indicted in the report of the panel for allegedly colluding with bandits to kidnap, collect ransom or even kill their people.
The report was submitted in October 2019 but the recommendations have largely not been implemented.
Had it been implemented, at least one former governor should be facing trial for alleged murder while several emirs, not just three who have been suspended, would have been deposed.
10 army officers would also have faced court martial.
A source close to the Government House, Gusau, however, said a panel was raised to review the recommendations and report back to government.
The committee, tagged Zamfara Committee for Finding Solution to Armed Banditry in the State, had been raised by Matawalle on his assumption of office in May 2019 to investigate the banditry that had blown into full scale war between indigenous Hausa farmers and Fulani herders in the state.
Specifically, the terms of reference included investigation of willful killings, kidnappings, destruction of properties and other related matters in Zamfara and to make recommendations to the state government on the appropriate actions to take, and investigation of the remote and immediate factors responsible for the unprecedented and wide-spread killings, maiming, kidnappings, rape, cattle rustlings, destruction of crops/grains and displacement in the state.
The investigation covered the period between June 1, 2011 and May 29, 2019.
The panel was headed by a former inspector general of police, MD Abubakar, and had diverse membership which included Senator Saidu Muhammed Dansadau, Hon. Justice Nasiru Umar Gummi (rtd), Alh. (Dr.) Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi (Wamban Shinkafi), CP Mamman Anka (rtd), Mamuda Aliyu Maradun (ex-Permanent Secretary), Alh. Ibrahim Bawa (Fulani representative), Alh. Mohammed Adamu, Perm. Sec. Home Affairs, Committee Secretary, and Barr. Aliyu Abdullahi Gusau, Director Public Prosecution, Assistant Secretary.
Co-opted members were DIG Mamman Ibrahim Tsafe (rtd), DSP Hardo Abubakar Abdulkadir, Alh. Imrana Ibrahim Aliyu and Usman Saidu Dansadau.
Promise
When the committee was submitting its report in October 2019, Matawalle had promised to implement the recommendations, assuring that he would not be diverted by any sentiment.
The governor was said to be in the entourage of President Muhammadu Buhari who was visiting the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly last week, and his spokespersons could not be reached to speak on the status of the report.
Origin
To be sure, the Zamfara banditry, according to the report, started in a village called Dansadau.
Although there are conflicting accounts of how banditry turned deadly in the state, everyone quoted by the report seemed to agree it all began in the Dansadau village where the Hausa who, in their quest for farmlands, reportedly indiscriminately encroached into cattle routes and grazing reserves and that triggered friction between them and Fulani residents.
A member of the committee, quoted by the report, narrated that about 19 years ago, a former District Head of Dansadau, Alh. Shafiu Salihu, ignited the problem after he authorized a self-defense outfit called ‘Yan Sakai’ to kill any thief even if it was a goat he stole.
The report went on: “He (committee member) cited an example where a person was discharged and acquitted by a law of court but on getting back to Dansadau, this freed man was killed together with his father.
“This member further informed the committee that, out of brutality and inhumanity of man-to-man, he (victim) was asked to dig the grave where he was eventually killed and buried.
“The Emir of Birnin Gwari was also high handed and further fuelled friction and disharmony when he directed his subjects and other vigilante groups or ‘Yan Sakai’ to kill anybody that was found to have stolen anything.
“According to this member, that ugly scenario where people were allowed to take the law into their hands compounded the problems of mistrust and rivalry among Hausa and Fulani. In the same development, he stated that one Alh. Ishe, a Fulani man who championed the cause of Fulani, made the Fulani in Dansadau Emirate to rally behind him.
“This member added that about five or six years after Alh. Ishe took a seemingly leadership of Fulani in the area made ‘Yan Sakai’ aggrieved.
“The rivalry between ‘Yan Sakai’ and Fulani in the area under the leadership of Alhaji Ishe became so intensified and eventually Alh. Ishe was killed and his corpse was put on his car and burnt to ashes.
“Thereafter, the Fulani started launching reprisal attacks around Sangeku and Kabaro villages.
“According to the member, close relations of Alh. Ishe emphatically stated that the life of Alh. Ishe is equivalent to 1, 000 souls of Hausa men.
“Therefore, from that time, Fulani in the area started attacking Hausa communities especially in the rural areas and ‘Yan Sakai’ killing Fulani indiscriminately”.
This narration corroborated the committee finding that the first armed banditry took place late in 2009 in Anka/Maru Local Government along Anka/Dansadau Emirates’ border.
Multiple causes
The report found several causes as responsible for the Zamfara banditry.
The remote causes include institutional failure and blatant betrayal of trust by unscrupulous political leaders, traditional rulers, security officers and judicial officers; poverty, unemployment, indolence and frustration that led many youths to drug abuse and involvement in crime; influx into and settlement of illegal alien Fulani from neighboring countries in Zamfara who initially behaved and related with both indigenous Fulani and Hausa harmoniously and peacefully but later exhibited their true criminal tendencies by starting small scale armed robbery, followed by rustling of non-Fulani and indigenous Fulani cattle, and when herds of the locals were grossly depleted, they had no option but to join the gang of criminals to make a living and a means of replenishing their lost herds of cattle; proliferation of traditional rulers at all levels by successive governors with no regard to rules and regulations/due process; proliferation and widespread consumption of dangerous drugs; and high level corruption on the part of bad eggs in the security, judicial and law enforcement services.
On immediate causes, the report found indiscriminate allocation of virgin forest, forest reserves, game reserves, Fulani grazing areas, home settlement as farmlands to farmers by successive Zamfara governments from May 29, 1999, a situation which pushed the Fulani in the state to the wall and left with no option but to take the law into their hands for survival; attacks and counter attacks, reprisal and counter reprisal between Fulani and farmers on one hand and Fulani v. ‘YAN SAKAI’ on the other; injustice by some traditional rulers in land dispute management; and indiscriminate release of suspects by security agencies played varying degree of roles.
The report is unsparing of some former governors over the roles they allegedly played during their tenures which escalated banditry in Zamfara
On the alleged role of former Governor Ahmed Sani Yariman Bakura (May 1999 – May 2007), the report said: “When small scale armed robbery began to rear its ugly head in different parts of the state, he directed allocation of farmlands in government forest reserves along the major highways in order to create clear view for motorists and make it difficult for armed robbers to escape easily from the thick forest reserves.
“This policy sparked off agitation by farmers across the state for allocation of farmlands in forest reserves nearest to their respective areas.
“The governor bowed to the pressure, thus indiscriminate allocation of farmlands with no regard to Fulani interest began.
“Unscrupulous civil servants in the ministry of environment abused the policy, connived with some fraudulent traditional rulers and allocated almost as much as what was allocated officially by the state government”.
On former Governor Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi (May 2007 – May 2011), the report has this to say: “During his four-year tenure, fraudulent civil servants enjoyed a field day.
“They allocated farmlands in government forest reserves at will without the knowledge of government.
“He too allocated some farmlands especially to some high profile individuals both within and outside the state of between 100 to 700 hectares per person.
“191 beneficiaries include legislators, political appointees and party officials”.
In the case of former Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar (May 2011 – May 2019), the committee wrote: “The seed of security crisis planted during Governor Ahmed Sani Yariman Bakura’s tenure watered and nursed all through germinated fully three months into the tenure of Gov. Abdul’Aziz Yari Abubakar.
“Gov. Abdul’Aziz Yari’s failure or refusal to address the security crisis in the state at a very early stage, however, provided a fertile ground and enabling environment for the influx of bandits from other parts of the country and neighboring countries.
“This situation complicated and up scaled the armed banditry in the state to the extent of covering the entire 14 local governments of the state and spilling over to neighboring states of Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger and Sokoto.
“The governor’s nonchalant attitude and unflinching absence from the state provided golden opportunity to fraudulent security agencies, judicial officers and department of public prosecution in the ministry of justice to compromise the call of their statutory duties in favor of extraneous personal benefits. “Management of security is time bound and expensive.
“The constant absence of former Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari rendered security agencies orphans with no master to report to on urgent security intelligence issues and with no source of funding to avert impending attacks.
“Failure to attend to urgent and important memos on security matters from relevant ministries and departments of government was one of the factors responsible for the inability of government to tackle the security challenges.
“His administration, like those of his predecessors, allocated farmlands to big time politicians in government forest reserves which worsened the predicament of the Fulani access to grazing areas.
“His deliberate refusal to receive report from a committee he personally set up that worked for two years on ways of finding solution to the unprecedented security challenges in the state is the peak of lack of concern for lives and property in the state.
“The preponderance opinion of witnesses, complainants, traditional rulers, security agencies and civil servants showed lack of attention to security issues brought before the former governor including formal and informal intelligence.
“In spite of the human and material losses, it could literarily be said that no aid was provided to the surviving victims (IDPs) or families of the deceased.
“In spite of his ardent opposition to the Yan-Sakai group (self defense outfit) from the beginning of the security challenges up to October 2018, when 2019 elections were fast approaching, the state government formally registered and employed 8,500 of them as informal security outfit in the name of assisting the military in their fight against bandits but with the alleged motive of using them as political army to rig the 2019 elections in the state.
“This notorious group used their new status as a license to kill and extort people especially Fulani and political opponents in broad day light on market days throughout the state. “There is in fact literarily no witness or complainant that appeared before the committee that did not lament the atrocities of the self defense group.
“They were mainly responsible for the escalation of killings, kidnappings and extortions in Zamfara State from November 2018 (when they were registered and employed) to May 2019.
“One of them was alleged to have killed not less than 30 innocent people within the period under review”.
According to the report, while all the abracadabra of illegal land allocation was going on at the state level from 1999 to 2019, local government council chairmen connived with some traditional rulers to allocate as farmlands all available forest reserves, grazing areas, and Fulani settlements under their jurisdictions to few farmers, largely to politicians and high profile personalities in the affected localities.
“This is the last stroke that broke the camel’s back which pushed the Fulani to the wall with no option but fight the battle of their lives for survival”.
Charges
Arising from the alleged roles of the former governors in fuelling banditry in Zamfara, the report said: “The committee recommends that the immediate past Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari Abubakar and his aides (immediate past Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Bello Dankande Gamji, and Alhaji Sani Gwamna Mayanchi) be arrested and prosecuted for alleged multiple culpable homicide due to his acts of commission and omission”.
The committee established that whereas some traditional rulers were complicit in the escalation of banditry in Zamfara, many were negligent in their responsibility of ensuring security in their respective domains.
In fact, were the recommendations of the committee to be implemented to the letter, no less than 15 of the 17 emirs in the state would be deposed.
The story of the alleged collaboration of the Emir of Maru and a District Head with bandits was told by the Zamfara SSG, Alhaji Bala Bello Maru, in his testimony before the committee.
The report, quoting the SSG, narrated: “The Secretary to the State Government informed the committee that, they received a report that armed bandits had planned to attack some villages within the emirate and security operatives were informed accordingly.
“He further stated that, in that night, Rayau, Mahuta, Talli and Dutsin Gari villages of Kanoma District in Maru Emirate were attacked by armed bandits and 17 people were killed and many others injured.
“On the following day (5th June, 2019), all the Emirs in the State paid Sallah homage to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Zamfara State, Hon. (Dr.) Bello Muhammad, MON, Matawallen Maradun.
“Thereafter, the Executive Governor stated that a visit to the affected villages which were all under Kanoma District should be made in company of the Honourable Member, Zamfara State House of Assembly representing Maru North, Hon. Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, Alh. Bala Bello Maru, the Secretary to the State Government and all the security heads among other entourage.
“On arrival of the Executive Governor and his entourage, they headed to a primary school where the IDPs were accommodated. “Thereafter, the District Head of Ancient Kanoma on the hill made a welcome address and finished his speech accordingly.
“Then the suspended District Head of Kanoma below the hill was invited to make his own welcome address as his counterpart on hill made.
“As he started making his own welcome address, there were a lot of grumblings and shouting by the villagers.
“In the same development, the Emir was to make his speech and welcome address but there were a lot of shouting and disorder by the villagers and all efforts made to allow the Emir to speak failed woefully.
“On seeing the disorderly crowd, the Executive Governor addressed the gathering of the villagers and there was a lot of applauds and chanting of goodwill messages to him.
“After the Executive Governor and his entourage left for Gusau, the crowd of villagers attacked the District Head of Kanoma and injured him badly.
“It was for the timely intervention of the Hon. Member House of Assembly representing the area, the mob would have killed him. “Simultaneously, security operatives started shooting in the air and throwing teargas canisters to disperse the mob.
“The mob also started throwing stones at the Emir’s official car with a lot of commotion. “When the Governor arrived Gusau with his entourage, people started to allege that the Emir was collaborating with the suspended District Head of Kanoma and armed bandits.
“Therefore, according to the Secretary to the State Government, there were strong suspicions among public opinions that the Emir of Maru and the suspended District of Kanoma are in complicit in cases of armed banditry activities being perpetrated in the area. “Already, in the Governor’s entourage, there were the Commissioner of Police, Director of State Service, Brigade Commander who the Executive Governor sought for their advice of what to do in such ugly circumstance, which they unanimously pointed out that the episode was a big embarrassment to the government and there was the urgent need to take decisive action by suspending the duo (the Emir of Maru and the District Head of Kanoma South) pending the determination of investigation to be carried out.
“Three days after the killing of 17 people mentioned earlier, the armed bandits returned and burnt down the village.
“There was also the issue of 5 million naira ransom which was allegedly paid to HRH, the Emir of Maru through the District Head of Kanoma South.
“However, the Secretary to the State Government informed the committee there was no formal reports or petitions against the Emir from any quarter, but an isolated information from a member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, and other unspecified sources”.
Startling revelations
Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Nagogo, also indicted the Emir of Karu in his testimony to the panel, according to the report.
The report quoted him as saying that in 2016 when CP Shettima Istifanus was the Zamfara State Commissioner of Police while he (Nagogo) was the Zamfara State Deputy Commissioner of Police (Finance and Inspection), then government appointed him as the Peace Ambassador and Chairman to head Amnesty Committee.
“According to him, he visited Dokani forest where he saw arms and ammunitions with over 1, 000 bandits. Buhari Daji surrendered 13 AK47 assault rifles and a rocket launcher as a sign of his confidence in the amnesty programme”, the report said.
“He stated that his concern was not to wage war against the bandits but to enter into dialogue and reconciliation because even if government should deploy one million soldiers, they would not be able to defeat the bandits as they were so many with sufficient and sophisticated weapons to counter any attack on them.
“The bandits had informants everywhere and could pay as much as N500, 000 to an informant.
“He then advised then Executive Governor of Zamfara State that the government should direct the release of Buhari’s wife.
“According to him, then State Director, State Service truncated all efforts put in place by the Amnesty Committee.
“In his view, the main cause of the crisis was the Yan Sakai, Civilian JTF and vigilante groups in that whenever a Fulani man was killed, Fulani would attack the whole village killing several people and leaving scores injured.
“Finally, when he met with the Ardos and other Fulani leaders, their complaints were that they were deprived of attending markets, mosques etc. and whenever Fulani were killed, government did not visit and console them.
“However, whenever the Hausas were killed, the government visited and consoled them”.
Boko Haram/ISIS infiltration
Also testifying, DSP Hardo Abubakar Abdulqadir, Sector Commander in charge of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Kaduna states, according to the report, revealed that there was infiltration of Boko Haram and ISIS elements in Dangulbi and Dansadau forests.
“He informed the committee that his squad arrested an armed bandit at Danjibga village who had an ISIS head band and who informed the squad that there were 15 in number and were invited from Niger Republic”, the report said.
“According to the armed bandits, some of them had since moved to Sokoto, Tangaza, Gudu, Illela etc”.
17 District Heads
The report found most of the 17 emirs in Zamfara and several of their District Heads either neck deep in banditry activities or negligent in their responsibility of securing their people while others were interdicted for absenteeism.
In fact, one of them was accused of being away while 840 of his subjects were killed; two others to answer murder charge.
Only two of the monarchs got a clean bill, according to the report.
Whereas one was recommended for national honours in appreciation of his efforts to secure his subjects despite raging banditry, another was asked to be commended by the President for similar feat.
And to sanitise the traditional institution in Zamfara, the report recommended an overhaul and restructuring in such a manner that it will reflect the true tradition of the institution and be at par with its peers in north-western states with no regard to individual, group or political interests. The panel also recommended that emirates in the state be compressed from 17 to three.
Cover up
The report has no good words about the police as it noted that there was no witness that appeared before the committee who was asked about the cause of the escalation of the security crisis in Zamfara that did not point accusing fingers at the police for lack of diligence and thorough investigation, conspiracy to cover up suspects and indiscriminate and rampant releases of suspects.
It also slammed the military. It said: “It is ironic that when President Muhammadu Buhari deployed additional 1, 300 troops to Zamfara State early 2017 under the command of a Major General assisted by a number of Brigadier Generals in addition to 350 troops under the command of a Lt. Col, the security situation in Zamfara State worsened and became more complicated.
“A month before the deployment of the additional troops, a little over 100 people were kidnapped in Zamfara, while one month after their deployment, over 200 were kidnapped with owners of livestock complaining of the worst situation they ever found themselves. “Many Fulani and owners of livestock accused the troops of attacking, killing and impounding livestock of innocent Fulani and claiming success over bandits and recovering stolen cattle from them.
“Traditional rulers at different levels had complained bitterly about the sarcastical attitude of the soldiers that whenever they were directed to the point of potential attack by bandits, they deliberately divert to a different direction and attack innocent Fulani or give excuses of they had not been given order from above.
“This unpatriotic and unprofessional behavior, according to the accounts of many witnesses and complainants, complicated and worsened the security situation.
“There are also a number of complaints and allegations against the military personnel of fraudulent management of redeemed livestock from bandits and those impounded from innocent owners.
“The committee received many reports and allegations of conspiracy between some fraudulent military personnel, traditional rulers and Civilian JTF members of missing redeemed livestock; there abound, as well, complaints of fraudulent military personnel releasing bandits arrested by vigilante groups or Civilian JTF that were handed over to them.
“Such complaints and allegations came before the committee from across all the strata of the society”.
The report mentioned the case of one army captain who was handed over four arrested bandits by the vigilante group from a village in Zurmi local government Area, saying two days later, the handed-over bandits attacked the village of the vigilante group.
It noted another officer who witnesses in Zurmi accused of collecting regular levies of about N2million per bandit according to the account of a traditional ruler.
“He is obviously one of those officers accused of attacking innocent Fulani, killing, arresting some of them and commandeering some of their herds of cattle and claiming success in the fight against bandits”.
The report listed 10 military officers for “dirty involvement in escalating the menace of armed banditry, mismanagement of recovered livestock and unholy relationship with criminals”.
Three categories of bandits
It identified three categories of bandits as (a) Hardened criminals who, years before the advent of armed banditry in Zamfara, had been involved in armed robbery on the highways and other heinous crimes, (b) Those who have been forced into banditry by different circumstances, such as depletion of their herds of cattle and poverty, those whose herds of cattle had been rustled and had nothing for livelihood, those who had been pushed to the wall by atrocities of fraudulent traditional rulers, court officials and security agencies who regard banditry as easy means of building large herds of cattle, (c) Those invited from neighboring countries to assist indigenous Fulani in their battle for survival, saying about 90% of (b) above, have repented and very much desirous of integrating with their various communities to resume their normal and legitimate life and over 90% of (c) have since returned to their various countries.
“However, only a negligible number of (a) have or are willing to repent”, the report said.
It recommended the design of a special programme for rehabilitation of bandits and other repentant criminals in order to integrate them into the society and make them adopt legitimate means of livelihood while waging a serious war against unrepentant bandits/criminals.
Under its general observations and recommendations, the committee made 16 notable observations among which is that the usurpation of local government funds by state governors is substantially responsible for high level of poverty and unemployment at the grassroots level, adding: “This phenomenon has been identified as one of the major causes of drug abuse and armed banditry”.
