Renewed Southern Kaduna Attacks: Group Condemns Killings, Demands Improve Security During Festivities

…Says attacks in December are not new and shows they are premeditated

Southern Kaduna people living in diaspora under the auspices of Southern kaduna people in diaspora (SOKAPDA) Europe have condemned in strong terms the renewed attacks on communities in southern Kaduna. The group said the attacks are unacceptable and must be brought to a stop.

The group in a statement signed by its President, Mr Casimir Biriyok states that attacks in the area usually intensify in December a proof that the attacks are premeditated by the terrorists. It also accused the government and security agencies of not doing enough to protect lives and properties in the area.

Recall that Kamuru-Ikullu, Mallagun and Kpak communities in Zangon Kataf and Kaura local government area of Kaduna state respectively were attacked on different occasions this week, leading to the death of at least seven (7) people.

The statement reads in full;

“Men should think twice before making widowhood women’s only path to power.” — Gloria Steinem

Southern kaduna people in diaspora (SOKAPDA) Europe, condemns the recent killings which resulted to lost of lives and injuries to innocent citizens in Kamuru -Ikulu, Mallagum, Kpak and other parts of the state.

As a community in diaspora, we find it difficult to comprehend how human lives seem to have little value in Nigeria in general and Kaduna state in particular.

Looking back over the years, it is obvious that these broad day killers seem to intensify there activities in the month of December especially in the Southern part of the State. Given this scenario, one would have thought that those who are drawing salary to protect us and by implications saddled with the responsibility of protecting the lives of our people should have taken precautions given past experiences.

At the time of writing this release, we have not read or heard of any concrete measures by the power that be as to how they will protect us or what measures or precautions are being taken to remedy the situation now that it has become a routine.

It is essential to hold those who have sworn to protect us to do the needful for we in diaspora are frustrated that in the 21st century, technology like phone tracking, geo orbits satellite, drones and old fashion spying etc have not been fully utilized. We have been told time and time without number that the best is being done. Those at the receiving end seem not to see all these efforts for the killings seem to be going on unabated for years.

It is also on record that nobody as far as we know, has taken any responsibility for possible negligence or dereliction of duty or responsibilities and resign to indicate how serious some of those responsible for our peoples’ security have taken it.

The peaceful Kaduna that we knew is no more and we sincerely hope that some where within the political classes, someone will take security of lives seriously for it is absolutely too tragic that our state has become a killing field.

SOKAPDA will like to take this opportunity to express our sympathy to the families of the souls that were lost during the killings. May their souls rest in peace.
Our heart remains with all the families that they left behind. It is only Almighty God that can console them in these challenging periods. Similarly, we sympathize with every individual who have in one way or other been affected negatively by these random killings that seem to have no end in sight. We take exception to others describing these as either communal disputes or skirmishes. We should call spade a spade, these are premeditated killings. Period.

Mr Casimir P Biriyok
President of Southern Kaduna people in Diaspora (SOKAPDA) Europe
email: skpdae@gmail.com.

End of statement…

Attacks in Southern Kaduna are not new as the region has witnessed hundreds of such attacks in recent times leading to the death of thousands and destruction of several communities causing a humanitarian crisis in the area. The attacks are blamed on terrorists suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

HURIWA BACKS PASTOR ADEBOYE, ZAMFARA GOVERNOR ON SELF DEFENCE

…Says Right to life is irretrievable if violated:

Prominent Civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has thrown her weight behind the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, who spoke against the high rate of insecurity in the country and told the members of his Church to defend themselves against attackers.

HURIWA recalled that the respected Cleric Pastor Adeboye stressed that there is nowhere in the Bible that God said His children should not defend themselves.This is coming as the Chairman of the Katsina State Traditional Council of Chiefs and Emir of Katsina, Dr Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, has raised the alarm over what he described as the multifaceted worsening security challenges facing the residents of the state.

The Rights group recalled that speaking during the church’s July 2022 Holy Ghost Service in a viral video, Adeboye said enough is enough, adding that henceforth, “it’s fire for fire. “I don’t want to say much because I know whatever I say, some people may want to twist it. I have searched the Bible from cover to cover and there is nowhere where God said a child of God cannot defend himself. If you find the place, let me know. He said that if they slap you on the right cheek turn left; He said that one. If they now slap the left what did he say? When God is silent, do you know the meaning of that, it simply means over to you.“I am only talking to my children. Only my children come to the Holy Ghost Service. There are certain things television cannot transmit. Not at all. Glory be to God for television that can transmit across the world. Glory be to God. But when the Almighty God knows that it is out of laziness that you sat back at home, you will be hearing the testimonies of those who were present. There’s something called corporate anointing. The Bible says fire begets fire. There are certain things you get because you are there… Oh! Some jokers said churches should not open for three months. Who is your commander? God of Boko Haram? Let the devil try any nonsense, from now on, it is going to be fire for fire.”

Against the backdrop of the admonition by Pastor Enoch Adeboye on the necessity of embracing self defence to save their lives from being wasted by armed terrorists, the Rights grpup said that just like the the Zamfara State’s governor authorised his citizens to bear arms, the Reverend gentleman was right to mobilise his members to do all they can to remain alive because as it were only the living can worship God. 

HURIWA spoke further on THE implications of embracing self defence which it says are multifaceted and affirmed that It shows the collapse of the centralised system of government due to the incompetence of the head of state and head of government to safeguard the lives of the citizens and the safety of their legitimately obtained assets/property.  Another implication is that it has open the floodgates for other states to take similar lawful steps to protect their citizens for the time being until such a time that Nigeria has an effective and functional President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  If the people don’t protect themselves because government at the centre can’t protect them because of criminal dereliction of duty on the part of President Muhammadu Buhari and the collusion and compromises of the National Assembly that failed to provide oversight responsibility to demand action from the President to stop the killings of Nigerians. The National Assembly has the power of impeachment of a failed President which President Muhammadu Buhari is but Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila are ‘ERRAND BOYS’ OF THE FAILED PRESIDENT SO AS HIS PUPILS  THEY CAN’T MOVE AGAINST THEIR PRINCIPAL BECAUSE THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY’S INDEPENDENCE HAS BEEN MORTGAGED SINCE 2019. The last implication is for the national Assembly to impeach the President so we don’t have arms proliferation in Nigeria.  

The decision by the Zamfara State governor to ask citizens to pick up arms for the purposes of self defence is constitutionally permitted under Section 33(2) (a) which states and I quote “a person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section if he dies as a result of the use to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted by law, of such force as is reasonably necessary- (a) FOR THE SELF DEFENCE OF ANY PERSON FROM UNLAWFUL VIOLENCE OR FOR THE DEFENCE OF PROPERTY. “

Fundamentally, the primary purpose of government as clearly spelt out under section 14(2) (b) is “THE SECURITY AND WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE SHALL BE THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT.” So the Zamfara State government’s innovative way of safeguarding the lives of the citizens of that state is necessitated by the overwhelming failures of the President,  Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to dispense and discharge his constitutionally mandated primary obligations as President who has the command and control of the Armed Forces as stipulated in Sections 218, 217, 215 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. And because the RIGHT TO LIFE WHICH IS SACROSANCT AS PROVIDED FOR IN SECTION 33(1) MUST BE SAFEGUARDED BY ALL MEANS FROM EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTION,  IT IS PERMISSIBLE FOR THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO OPT FOR INDIVIDUAL SELF DEFENCE SINCE THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT HEADED BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI HAS FAILED IN THIS VERY CRITICAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE LAW DEMANDED OF HIS OFFICE as contained in the following provisions: 

“section 215 of the 1999 constitution There shall be –

(a) an Inspector-General of Police who, subject to section 216(2) of this Constitution shall be appointed by the

President on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving members of the Nigeria Police Force;

(b) a Commissioner of Police for each state of the Federation who shall be appointed by the Police Service Commission.

(2) The Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector-General of Police and contingents of the Nigeria Police Force stationed in a state shall, subject to the authority of the Inspector-General of Police, be under the command of the Commissioner of Police of that state.

(3) The President or such other Minister of the Government of the Federation as he may authorise in that behalf may give to the Inspector-General of Police such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order as he may consider necessary, and the Inspector-General of Police shall comply with those direction or cause them to be compiled with.

(4) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Governor of a state or such Commissioner of the Government state as he may authorise in that behalf, may give to the Commissioner of Police of that state such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order within the state as he may consider necessary, and the Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with:

Provided that before carrying out any such directions under the foregoing provisions of this subsection the Commissioner of Police may request that the matter be referred to the President or such minister of the Government of the Federation as may be authorised in that behalf by the President for his directions.

(5) The question whether any, and if so what, directions have been given under this section shall not be inquired into in any court.

Section 217 of the 1999 constitution 

 (1) There shall be an armed forces for the Federation which shall consist of an army, a navy, an Air Force and such other branches of the armed forces of the Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly.

(2) The Federation shall, subject to an Act of the National Assembly made in that behalf, equip and maintain the armed forces as may be considered adequate and effective for the purpose of –

(a) defending Nigeria from external aggression;

(b) maintaining its territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land, sea, or air;

(c) suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the President, but subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly; and

(d) performance such other functions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.

(3) The composition of the officer corps an other ranks of the armed forces of the Federation shall reflect the federal

character of Nigeria.

section 218 of the 1999 constitution

 (1) The powers of the President as the Commissioner-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation shall include power to determine the operational use of the armed forces of the Federation.

(2) The powers conferred on the President by subsection (1) of this section shall include power to appoint the Chief of Defence staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and heads of any other branches of the armed forces of the Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly.

(3) The President may, by directions in writing and subject to such conditions as he think fit, delegate to any member of the armed forces of the Federation his powers relating to the operational use of the Armed Forces of the Federation.

(4) The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the regulation of –

(a) the powers exercisable by the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation; and (b) the appointment, promotion and disciplinary control of members of the armed forces of the Federation.

(3) Lastly, on my take, I will say  that we are passing through the worst phase in our national life because of the abysmal failures of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to do just the basic constitutionally obliged duties such as protecting Nigerians from MASS KILLERS WHO ARE ALLOWED TO ROAM ABOUT FREELY AND KILLING NIGERIANS. Zamfara State has provided the most practicable solution that is constitutionally permitted.I will ask all state governors to take same steps to defend their people. 

*Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko is Executive Director of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA). 

Muslim-Muslim ticket will heighten aggression against Christians, HURIWA cautions Tinubu:

…Reject APC, other parties mulling Muslim-Muslim ticket, HURIWA tells Nigerians

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Sunday, cautioned All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to STOP mulling a Muslim as his running mate in the forthcoming general elections.  

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, stressed that the emergence of a Muslim-Muslim ticket Presidency will further heighten the aggression against Christians by bandits and terrorists who claim allegiance to Islam.

The group said Tinubu’s move is unconstitutional and violates Section 14 (3) and (4) and Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which specifically stated that the principle of federal character should be reflected in the composition of government and that no group, religious or ethnic, should dominate the other. 

According to a report in PUNCH Newspapers dated July 2, 2022, and titled, ‘Running mate: Tinubu pencils Zulum, Shettima, aide debunks meeting with Wike’, the former Lagos State governor may in the next few days name either Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State or his predecessor, Senator Kashim Shettima, as his running mate to beat the July 15 deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The report said about 13 Muslim northern governors are pressuring Tinubu to choose of them because they backed his candidacy during the fiercely-contested APC primary.

Reacting, however, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is crucial to warn APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for the umpteenth time to stop his sinister plot to nominate a Muslim running mate. The nomination will endanger national unity and will divide Nigeria irretrievably. If Tinubu goes on with a Muslim running mate, the APC should just forget about Nigeria because religious war will break out and Nigeria’s case will be worse than Somalia.

“With President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from Katsina State, who is obviously not concerned about the terrorist attacks on Christians, what will happen when Nigeria has Muslim-Muslim Presidency? It means Islamic state would be declared and war will kick off!

“HURIWA urges Nigerians to reject the APC or any party that want to foist same religion ticket on a heterogenous and multi-religious people like Nigerians. What happens to a Muslim-Christian ticket? What happens to a Christian-Muslim ticket? If a Christian-Christian ticket can’t work, then, a Muslim-Muslim ticket should never work! Nigerians should reject such parties with their Permanent Voter Cards!

“Section 38 of the 1999 constitution recognizes all religion while Section 318 and Section 14 (3) and (4) succinctly back the principle of federal character and resist the domination of a group in the composition of government.

For instance, Section 318 states: “federal character of Nigeria” refers to the distinctive desire of the peoples of Nigeria to promote national unity, foster national loyalty and give every citizen of Nigeria a sense of belonging to the nation as expressed in section 14 (3) and (4) of this constitution;

“Section 14 (3) and (4) states: The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.

“(4) The composition of the Government of a State, a local government council, or any of the agencies of such Government or council, and the conduct of the affairs of the Government or council or such agencies shall be carried out in such manner as to recognise the diversity of the people within its area of authority and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty among all the people of the Federation.”

HURIWA has also warned the Yakubu MAHMOUD led Independent National Electoral Commission not to play with fire by pandering to the whims and caprices of the ruling party but to conduct a transparent,  free, fair elections or else be prepared for war because the 2023 poll is the determinant factor if Nigeria will exists or burn to ashes and any attempt to manipulate the poll to favour the APC will be actively resisted for a long time to come just as the Rights group expressed doubts if Nigeria would survive any post election war. 

July 3, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

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

2023 Elections, Fulani Conquest Mission And The Choices Before The Rest Of Nigeria

NINAS Secretariat 

02 July 2022

All Political Parties including APC, PDP and Labour Party, subscribe to the 1999 Constitution and so whichever one of them wins the 2023 Presidential Election will Swear to Uphold and Govern by the 1999 Constitution. That would be comprehensive victory for the Caliphate that seeks to keep that Constitution alive via the 2023 Elections, as the Fulani Strategy for advancing the Fulani Conquest Onslaught against the indigenous peoples of Nigeria.

Knowing what we all know now about the Fulani Conquest Campaign against the rest of Nigeria, and knowing the Strategic Facilitation provided that Conquest Campaign by the Caliphate-imposed 1999 Constitution, it will amount to SELF-DESTRUCTION if the rest of Nigeria joins the Caliphate on the Voyage to 2023 Elections under the 1999 Constitution.

On the one hand, in the face of the sure consequences the countrywide consensus against the 1999 Constitution, the only Viable route now open to the Fulani to escape a Comprehensive Defeat (not electoral) in the Sovereignty Dispute raised December 16, 2020, is for the South and Middle-Belt to wobble into the 2023 electoral Voyage.

On the other hand, the only viable route now open to the rest of Nigeria to escape Complete Conquest by the Fulani, is to halt the Voyage to 2023 as this immediately Takes Down the 1999 Constitution and ends the Unitary Union of death foisted upon them by that 1999 Constitution.

The choices are clear for the South and Middle-Belt.

Those who wish to argue with the Signboard are at liberty to so do, but the Cost of our Collective Folly will be reckoned in blood if we choose to go to 2023 Elections under the 1999 Constitution.

Please see NINAS Special Project Bulletin No.7 of July 11, 2021 below for more insight.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

NINAS Special Project Bulletin No.7

Mechanism For Taking Down The 1999 Constitution: Turning Off The Tap Instead Of Mopping Endlessly

Dated: 11 July 2021, NINAS

As the countdown continues in the Union Dispute Declared December 16, 2020 by the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination, NINAS and the Campaign is intensified towards the Termination of the operation of the toxic and fraudulent 1999 Constitution:

All efforts and focus should be towards ending the Union of Death rather lamenting one more of the countless inequities of Unitary Nigeria.

Our Focus right now should be to Turn Off the Tap and on not any form of Mopping.

The 1999 Constitution is the Tap from which all our miseries flow, whether it is the killings coming from the Fulani Invasion or the monumental corruption that breeds the mass poverty or the acute lopsidedness we see in all aspects of Nigeria’s national life.

Every effort to point out or call for the remediation of another injustice or another malfeasance is like Mopping instead of Turning Off the Tap from which all the evils we lament flow. 

The more honest, the more potent and the more rational response to the man-made deluge of evils that are daily gushing out of that 1999 Constitution and swamping up all us in Nigeria is to Turn off the Tap; not to continue to Mop.

Let us Take Down the 1999 Constitution immediately and end the Unitary Union of death, attrition and backwardness it foists instead of the endless lamentations or feeble efforts to call out yet another evil amidst many. 

We are much more closer to extinguishing this known source of all our miseries than anything we may do towards amelioration, particularly regarding the killings, abductions and general insecurity being orchestrated by Fulani Herdsmen Militia and the so-called Bandits who are all parts of the same Terror Machinery in which the Complicity and Collusion of the Fulani-controlled Federal Government of Nigeria is becoming more and more manifest. 

Within the Framework of the Self-Determination Right now being asserted by the indigenous peoples across the  NINAS Alliance Territory (South and Middle-Belt), the ouster of the 1999 Constitution immediately ACTIVATES fully the Right to Armed Self-Defence since it is the Repudiated 1999 Constitution that Prohibits and Prevents the endangered peoples of the Alliance Territory from taking up arms in defence of themselves and their lands.

As the undisguised Fulani Invasion and Conquest Onslaught against the indigenous peoples of Nigeria become more manifest and more obvious to more people, the urgency of the need to halt that Onslaught become more obvious to more People. 

The preponderant question then becomes: “WHAT EXACTLY SHALL WE DO NOW TO TAKE DOWN THE 1999 CONSTITUTION?”

The answer to that question is outlined below; but first, the Basis of the answer: 

(1) We now know that the 1999 Constitution is the SOURCE of all our miseries including the killings, mass impoverishment and hopelessness.

(2) The Life of that 1999 Constitution is RENEWED once every four years by General Elections. 

(3) Only Political Parties contest elections.

(4) All Political Parties in Nigeria subscribe to the evil 1999 Constitution and so no matter which of them win any future elections, the 1999 Constitution remains in place and so our miseries increase and our extermination contiguities.

(5) As condition for assuming office, winners of all elections in Nigeria MUST swear to, and govern by the 1999 Constitution and so the Source of our miseries is reinforced.

IN THE FACE of the Countrywide Repudiation of the 1999 Constitution which was kickstarted by the CONTIGUOUS 12-State Sharia Caliphate of the far North which was the first Bloc to Repudiate the Secular 1999 Constitution by their SIMULTANEOUS imposition of Sharia in year 2000; and the rest of Nigeria which Repudiated that Constitution by Solemn Assemblies of the peoples of the various blocs, namely: 

Lower Niger: April 27, 2015 Solemn Assembly of the peoples of the Lower Niger in Port Harcourt.

Yorubaland: September 7, 2017 Yoruba Solemn Assembly, Ibadan.

Middle-Belt: July 18, 2018: Emergency Assembly of the peoples of the Middle-Belt, Markurdi.

AND in the Face of (1)-(5) above, the logic of the situation demands a Strategy that will break the Cycle of the Renewal of the life of the 1999 Constitution and therefore TERMINATE the operation of that Constitution. 

Having set out Clearly the  Mechanism for arriving at a TRANSITIONING Process by the December 16, 2020 Constitutional Force Majeure (CFM), and as the Nigerian situation continues to deteriorate dangerously, NINAS’ Strategy for Breaking this Cycle of Constitution Renewal, targets the Shutdown of the Voyage to the 2023 electoral cycle inside Q-3 of 2021 so as to precipitate the Peaceful and Orderly TRANSITIONING from the failed Unitary constitutional order foisted by the 1999 Fraud, to Fresh Protocols anchored on the Self-Determination Imperative for constituent peoples of the defunct Federation of Nigeria.

Central to that Shutdown Strategy will be to prevail on ALL Political Parties in the Alliance Territory to Close Shop forthwith since the end-product of all their activities in terms of going to another round of National Elections in 2023 under the Repudiated 1999 Constitution will only result in the Renewal of the life of that Constitution and therefore the Renewal and Reinforcement of the Source of our Miseries. 

This upfront SHUTDOWN of elections being proposed here is totally different from BOYCOTT of elections. (election boycotts are useless in the kind of situation we are trying to resolve in the distressed Nigeria Union). This Shutdown Proposition is also not about any off-season election such as Governorship, Senatorial or House Membership elections falling due in the period ahead of 2023. 

Guided by the Domino-1 and Domino-2 graphics herein, the December 16, 2020 CFM marked the attainment of the Domino-1 milestone while the Project Actions proposed for Q-3, 2021 (ie all-important Election 2023 SHUTDOWN inside the third quarter of 2021) is depicted by Domino-2. 

Except we are deceiving ourselves, we cannot be lamenting our torment in the toxic quagmire and death camp Unitary Nigeria has become for all constituent component Ethnic Nations in the South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria under the Caliphate-imposed 1999 Constitution AND at the same time be preparing to go to further National Elections in 2023 under the same 1999 Constitution from which the our lamentations and torment flow. 

It is suicide especially because the distressed Caliphate is also desperately looking for how to save their 1999 Constitution in order to keep their CONQUEST and ISLAMIZATION Onslaught against the South and Middle-Belt going.

By the Mercy of God, the ball is now in our court and we can EITHER be wise and Shut Down the Voyage of Doom called the 2023 Elections to save our lives and free ourselves from bondage OR we proceed in folly, with the Caliphate to 2023 Elections thereby Endorsing and Enabling the Caliphate killing and CONQUEST Onslaught against us by virtue of the 1999 Constitution. 

May wisdom prevail.

MASSACRE OF SOLDIERS BY TERRORISTS: YOUR NSA, SERVICE CHIEFS ARE INCOMPETENT -HURIWA Tells Buhari

Frontline Civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack all his military service chiefs, the Director General of the Department of State Services,  the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser Major General Babagana Monguno(rtd) for gross incompetence and for crass dereliction of duty.  

The Rights group said President Muhammadu Buhari ought to stop his frequent lamentations over his failings in the area of security because that is not why he was elected but to take immediate and comprehensive measures to dismiss any or all of his service chiefs now since they have manifested through their actions and inactions that they have not got what it takes to defeat terrorists just as the security Chiefs most of whom are Moslem Northerners are behaving like they are aiding and abetting the successes recorded so far by Islamic terrorists abd the Fulani terrorists. 

HURIWA reacted against the backdrop of the massacre if soldiers in Shiroro Dan a strategic National asset by the Islamists terrorists known as boko haram even as the Prominent Civil rights advocacy group-HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA accused the President of abandoning his duty to gallivanting and globetrot meaningless over the World. 

HURIWA recalled that  the Nigerian Army has confirmed the attack in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State by bandits who killed scores of security operatives, including soldiers and police.

According to reports, at least 43 people, including 30 soldiers and seven mobile police personnel and civilians were killed when the armed men stormed the Gold mining site. They also abducted several Chinese nationals.

Confirming the attack, the Nigerian Army, in a statement issued by its Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, said some bandits were also gunned down during the attack.“Sadly, a number of personnel paid the supreme price in the fierce firefight that ensued.“Subsequently, the location has been reinforced and troops are on the trail of the criminals with some already neutralized.The GOC 1 Division has moved to the location to take charge of the follow up operations”, the statement added.

HURIWA however said the Army should cover her face in shame that it is unable to defend the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria even when the defence sector collects the giant allocations every year from the federally released annual budgets and wondered why despite the fact that the governmenxt made claims of buying equipment from all over the World, the Islamists are being allowed to crush a trained and professional Army such as the Nigeria Army just as the Rights group said it is now certain that some saboteurs within the Army may be the moles selling the Country out to Jihadists. HURIWA has therefore called for the sack of all the service chiefs and is asking Nigerians not to die in silence but to stage protests to demand action from President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the widening insecurity in Nigeria. HURIWA said it is unfortunate that Nigerians are letting the government abandon it’s statutory duty to the citizens but failing to actively protest the heightened state of insecurity in the Country and demand the dismissal of compromised security Chiefs and the National Security Adviser who has absolutely nothing to offer. 

DSS meddling in religious matters, should focus on its mandate – HURIWA

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Friday, knocked the Department of State Services over the reported rescue of 21 Almajirai from an Evangelical Church Winning All branch in the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, carpeted the secret police for abandoning its constitutional roles to pursue religious agenda.

The group alleged that the DSS has been pursuing Islamic agenda and challenged the secret police to produce any Christian girl it had rescued from the claws of child marriage by Islamic fundamentalists and northern Muslims such as Emirs.

Recall that the DSS, in a report by Daily Trust, dated June 27, 2022, claimed that the 21 Almajirai boys were forcefully converted to Christianity in the church but the ECWA General Secretary, Rev. Yunusa Nmadu, denied the allegations.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The Department of State Services has apparently strayed from its original roles and functions as it is empowered by Instrument SSS No.1 of 1999 made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies  Act 1986 Cap. 74, LFN 2004.

“According to the statutes, the roles of the DSS include the prevention and detection of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria; protection and preservation of all non-military classified matters concerning the internal security of Nigeria.

“Others include the prevention, detection and investigation of threats of Espionage, Subversion, Sabotage, Terrorism, Separatist agitations, Inter-group conflicts, Economic crimes of National security dimension and threats to law and order; provision of protective security for designated principal Government functionaries, sensitive installations and visiting dignitaries; provision of timely advice to Government on all matters of National security interest and such other functions as may, from time to time, be assigned to it.

“But it is unfortunate that the DSS has abandoned these roles to pursue religious agenda like claiming the rescue of Almajirai from a church.

“HURIWA is therefore forced to ask the DSS under the control of the Director General, Yusuf Bichi, how many Christian schoolgirls the secret police had rescued from Islamic fundamentalists and northern Muslim element who abducted and coerced them into forced marriages.

“According to Open Doors International, an organisation that serves the persecuted Christians worldwide, over 40 Christian girls were abducted, Islamised and married off to Muslim men in Kano State between 2011 and 2016 alone. The case have since soared in the last seven years since the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), assumed office. Cases are numerous from Jos to Kano, Kaduna to Yobe, Sokoto to Maiduguri, to mention just a few.

“In 2016, a Bayelsa State-born Christian girl, 13-year-old Ese Oruru, was abducted by a Muslim, Yunusa Dahiru, and taken to the northern city of Kano as his wife. The young girl was impregnated by Dahiru and the DSS was nowhere to be found.

“In May 2017, the daughter of a Nigerian church leader, 16-year-old Janet Habila, was forcibly converted to Islam and married off to her Muslim boss by a Shari’a court in Niger State.

“Also, in Bauchi, 16-year-old Jamila Noma, was brought before an Islamic court on the orders of her father because she became a Christian and rejected her father’s decision to marry her to a Muslim man.

“Still fresh in mind is case of Leah Sharibu, one of the over 110 Christian schoolgirls kidnapped from Dabchi in Yobe State on February 19, 2018. Whilst most of the others have been released, Leah was held back by the terrorists for not renouncing her Christian faith. The kidnapping of over 270 female Christian schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State in April 2014 is also fresh in mind but the DSS was nowhere to be found in all of these fatal human rights violations.

“The DSS should stick to its job prescriptions and stop meddling in religious affairs or do so impartial for all faiths including Islam, Christians, traditional religion and all faiths as enshrined in Section 38 of the 1999 constitution.”

July 1, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

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

DSS arrest of Sufin Zamani for song that suggests ‘Hausa actresses don’t stay in marriage’ is unconstitutional, illegal:- says HURIWA

Hausa singer, Sarfilu Umar Zarewa, better known as Sufin Zamani, has been arrested and detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and this is being described by the Prominent Civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) as an affront to the constitutionally guaranteed human rights of the arbitrarily detained musician. The Rights is therefore advocating his release without ant further waste of time. 

The group said if anybody feels that his song has labelled the person, then such a person should Institute a civil suit and not to report to the use of the Department of State Services to do such a civil matter when Nigerians are now being bombarded by terrorists which should be the priority of the DSS and not get into such petty civil matter. 

HURIWA recalled that the musician Zarewa was reported by authorities of the Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN) for putting out a record titled ‘Matan Fim Ba Sa Zaman Aure’.

The title suggested that “Northern actresses don’t stay in a marriage.”

Kannywood actresses alleged that it was derogatory to them.

HURIWA recalled  that In a statement signed by Al-Amin Ciroma, the national PRO of MOPPAN, the association said a complaint letter was written to it by Wasila Isma’il, the veteran actress, on behalf of other women in the industry.

It said they demanded justice from the leadership of the association over a record done by Zarewa. The statement also quoted Wasila as saying that the women felt insulted by the lyrics of the song.

MOPPAN stated that Ahmad Sarari, the national president of MOPPAN, thereafter ordered an investigation to be carried out.

HURIWA however condemned the arrest of the Musician by the Department of State Services and has asked the Director General of the Department of State Services Alhaji Yusuf Magagi Bichi to order his officers to free the illegally detained musician forthwith and profusely apologise to him over the flagrant violations of his human rights because HURIWA said in as much as he did not name any particular Actress in the said song, arresting him for manifesting and celebrating the fruits of his creative tendencies and talents amounts to anti-intellectualism, unconstitutional,  illegal and primitive just as the Rights group reminded the DSS that Nigeria is a constitutional democracy and not a dictatorship or theocracy.  

HURIWA is praying the DSS to get busy by arresting and crushing all the armed terrorists destroying lives and property of the citizens. 

HURIWA cited relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution to affirm that the DSS has committed egregious breach of the constitutional rights of this illegally detained Hausa Musician thus: “35.  (1)  Every  person  shall  be  entitled  to  his  personal  liberty  and  no  person  shall be  deprived  of  such liberty  save  in  the  following  cases  and  in  accordance  with  a  procedure  permitted  by  law  –   (a)  in  execution  of  the  sentence  or  order  of  a court in  respect of  a  criminal  offence  of  which  he has been  found  guilty; and 39.  (1)  Every  person  shall  be  entitled  to  freedom  of  expression,  including  freedom  to  hold  opinions  and  to receive  and  impart ideas  and  information  without interference.”

HURIWA has therefore called for the immediate,  unconditional and swift release of this Nigerian Musician and with great deal of apologies and compensation. 

HURIWA uncovers smear campaign against ex-COAS Buratai 

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Wednesday, said it has uncovered a systematically hatched and well coordinated media campaign by some Abuja moneybags who have insisted on smearing the reputation of the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai (retd.). 

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, urged the media not to fall for the sponsored coordinated attacks against Buratai despite that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission has not indicted him of any corruption allegation. HURIWA regrets that some online media have already been bribed to disseminate falsehoods against General Buratai. 

Recall that the ICPC busted the Wuse house of a military contractor and made some startling discoveries but despite that the anti-graft agency made clarifications as to the owner of the house, some groups have continued to call on ICPC to change the outcome of the investigation so as to name Buratai as the owner in clear violations of the global best practices and the ethics. These groups are apparently purchased and paid by the said retired military General who is a senior Aide of President Muhammadu Buhari.  

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “We have on good authority that a retired military general working directly in the office of President Muhammadu Buhari  has been sponsoring a campaign of calumny against retired Lt. Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai with a criminal attempt to link his name with the ownership of the house in Wuse in which it was said that ICPC found some amount from a military defence contractor. 

“HURIWA also have on good authority that the retired military officer in Presidency allegedly released N10 million to some Abuja and Lagos-based groups with extensive contacts within the Nigerian press to continue the campaign of calumny against General Buratai all in an attempt to sully his image. The reason for doing is his perception that Lt.Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai may have been pencilled down as potential running mate to the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress given that the former Army Chief since retiring has devoted substantial part of his time and resources supporting and building up the All Progressives Congress in all nooks and cronies of the North East, North West and North Central regions of Nigeria and is not known to be fanatically attached to his religion but he is a profoundly regarded nationalist.” 

“The retired general is apparently threatened by the rising profile of General Buratai has he is being pencilled down as potential running mate to the All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The military retired General who is bankrolling this campaign of calumny is also accused of several heists of public funds which he has denied publicly. 

“HURIWA warned that civil society organisations should live by the ethics of professional conducts and not be used by moneybags to achieve selfish motives. Besides, HURIWA said a coalition of activists determined to restore sanity and professional ethics of the media practice are meeting to institute a class suit to try to stop some notorious media houses from spreading fake news.” 

“General Buratai is also encouraged to pursue legal action against defamatory reports against his person.”

June 29, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

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

NNAMDI KANU: NIGERIA, NOW A BANANA REPUBLIC- SAYS HURIWA

The Prominent Civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has expressed disappointment and utter dissatisfaction with the refusal of the presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja division Her Lordship Justice Mrs. Binta Murtallah-Nyako to exercise her constitutionally permitted discretionary power to grant bail to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu few days after President Muhammadu Buhari said Nnamdi Kanu wouldn’t be granted bail in what appears like Executive versus Judicial gang-up against the defendant. 

HURIWA said as a civil Rights body, it is dismayed that the Honourable Judge of the Federal High Court did not even make reference to that extrajudicial comments of the head of another arm of government President Muhammadu Buhari that the first defendant in a suit between the Federal Government and a citizen Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wouldn’t be granted bail but she proceeded to do exactly as stated by President Muhammadu Buhari as if to say that the judiciary is subservient to the executive arm of government.  HURIWA is appealing to the judiciary to safeguard her independence to avoid encouraging Nigerians to resort to self help measure if they perceive that the judiciary does the bidding and execute the scripts authored by politicians in the office of President Muhammadu Buhari. 

HURIWA in a media Statement in reaction to the reported rejection of the bail application filed by Nnamdi Kanu who has spent a year in pre-trial detention with the Department of State Services (DSS) said it was disturbing that President Muhammadu Buhari who instituted the matter against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his organisation seems to be adopting underhand tactics to cajole another independent arm of government-the judiciary to do her bidding as against the clear provisions of the Constitution on separation of powers as provided for in Sections 4, 5 send 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended. 

Besides, HURIWA said it is unclear why a citizen would spend a year in prison whilst undergoing trial for charges that the Federal Government has not adduced irrefutable proofs but there are top government officials who looted public treasury to the tune of nearly #200 billion per person which endangers national security but such alleged ‘thieves’ are on bail even when the offence of such a large economic sabotage of Nigeria is the reason why insecurity has overwhelmed the current administration whereas the charges against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is bordered on alleged use of inflammatory language against the person of President Muhammadu Buhari who is only one out of over 200 million Nigerians.  

In a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA recalled  that the detained Prisoner of Conscience Mazi Nnamdi  Kanu is currently facing a seven-count charge, had in the application he filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, equally challenge the revocation of the bail the court earlier granted to him.

HURIWA said that He Mazi Nnamdi Kanu specifically urged the court to set aside the order it made on March 28, 2019, which not only issued a bench warrant for his arrest, but also gave FG the nod to try him in absentia. The IPOB leader told the court that contrary to FG’s allegation that he jumped bail, he said that he fled for his life after his home town at Afaraukwu Ibeku in Umuahia, Abia State, was invaded by soldiers, which he said led to the death of 28 persons. Contending that he was denied fair hearing before his bail was revoked, Kanu, attached eight exhibits that included photographs, as well as an affidavit he deposed to from Isreal after he fled from the country.

HURIWA sadly recalled that whilst  dismissing the bail request on Tuesday, trial Justice Binta Nyako, said she was not satisfied with the reason the IPOB leader gave for his failure to appear in court for continuation of his trial. The trial judge noted that from records of the court, Kanu, was represented by his lawyer on the day his bail was revoked, likewise his sureties.

“In fact, he sureties told the court that they did not know the whereabout of the Defendant and even applied to be discharged from the matter.

“Therefore, the Defendant was not denied fair hearing”.

Besides, Justices Nyako held that though a court could vacate a previous order when confronted with a cogent and verifiable reason, “in the instant case, I have not been given any, neither have I been given any reason to set-aside the order.

“The present application amounts to an abuse of court process for attempting to relitigate an issue already decided by the court. “If the Defendant is dissatisfaction, he has the Appeal Court to go to.

“This application is accordingly dismissed”, Justice Nyako held.

HURIWA said although it is not in her place to determine for the presiding judge how to discharge her constitutional obligations but the Rights group said the unfair treatment of Nnamdi Kanu because of where he comes from is against Section 42(1) of the Constitution which absolutely makes discrimination unacceptable and unlawful just as the Rights group said the accusations of diversions of humonguous quantum of public cash which should ordinarily attract the dead penalty is treated with indifference by the judiciary particularly because most of those being accused are of a particular section of the country and are considered to be in the good books of the ruling party- All Progressives Congress which the Rights group said makes Nigeria appear like a rogue entity. 

The Rights group bemoaned the ugly fact that four days ago in far away Rwanda,  President Muhammadu Buhari was quoted as ruling out the bail option for Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The President said Kanu’s continued detention is an opportunity for him “to justify all the uncomplimentary things said against Nigeria while he was in Britain.”

Buhari said this at a bilateral meeting with the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, on the margins of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the president said, the Federal Government may not grant the IPOB leader such a privilege anymore considering the fact that he had jumped bail earlier.

“He felt very safe in Britain and said awful things against Nigeria. We eventually got him when he stepped out of the United Kingdom, and we sent him to court. Let him defend all that he said there.

“His (Kanu’s) lawyers have access to him. Remember he jumped bail before, how are we sure he won’t do it again if he’s admitted to bail?” Buhari was quoted to have said.

HURIWA said the extra legal attempts by President Muhammadu Buhari to coerce the judiciary to do the bidding of his whims and caprices shows that indeed Nigeria is not just a Banana Republic but a full dictatorship. HURIWA said the Judiciary under section 6 enjoys the judicial powers of the state just as the Rights group said under Section 36(5) every accused person is deemed to be innocent in the eyes of the law. HURIWA urged Justice Binta Nyako to issue a gag order banning President Muhammadu Buhari and his aides from interfering in a matter pending before her Court unless what we are being told is that President Muhammadu Buhari is now the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. 

Tanko’s resignation as CJN not enough, EFCC should arrest him –HURIWA 

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Monday, said the resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad as the Chief Justice of Nigeria was not enough to clear him of corruption allegations levelled against him by the 14 justices of the Supreme Court.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, demanded the immediate arrest, investigation and if culpable then prosecute the retired CJN Tanko by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission.

Recall that the 14 Supreme Court justices recently petitioned Tanko and alleged that he diverted their welfare funds.

“In the past, justices were nominated to attend two to three foreign workshops or training per annum with accompanying persons for reasons of age. Since your Lordship’s assumption of office, Justices only attend two workshops in Dubai and Zanzibar. They were not accorded the privilege of travelling with accompanying persons as was the practice.

“Your Lordship totally ignored this demand and yet travelled with your spouse, children, and personal staff. We demand to know what has become our training funds, have they been diverted, or it’s a plain denial,” the justices had asked.

Though Tanko denied the allegations, HURIWA earlier asked the National Judicial Council and the Code of Conduct Tribunal to probe him over the weighty allegations by the Supreme Court justices.

On Monday, news filtered in that Tanko has resigned as the CJN as confirmed by his Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Yusuf Isah.

“The latest information is that the CJN has resigned; I spoke with somebody very close to him and he said he has resigned,” Isah said.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), immediately sworn in Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko applauded the swift action of the President to have sworn in Ariwoola as the acting CJN.

He, however, said, “The resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad as the Chief Justice of Nigeria is not enough; the EFCC and the ICPC must swing into action, investigate then if a cause if Acton is ascertained, then arrest and prosecute him over the corruption allegations levelled against him by the 14 justices of the Supreme Court if a prima facie evidence exists .

“Jistice Tanko must be prosecuted just as his predecessor, Walter Onnoghen, who was probed and later removed on a controversial note following some allegations against him which was probed by both the NJC and the CCT.

“The investigation and probable prosecution of Tanko if indicted,  will set a precedent that Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade is not a joke unless it is a joke. Tanko’s prosecution if found culpable of those sets of allegations will also serve as deterrent for any proven corrupt justices that the judiciary won’t be a haven for scoundrels.”

June 27, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

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