The Middle Belt people of Zaar in Southern Bauchi

By Patrick Anum

Recently, we have heard a lot about the killings in Southern Kaduna, but the media has once again seemed to ignore the killings in Southern Bauchi, where armed herdsmen attacks are responsible for scores of deaths every day. Only a few media outlets have been able to report on the atrocities taking place in the area.

The most recent incident that inspired this article occurred on January 22, 2023, at Gambar Sabon Layi in Tafawa Balewa local government of Bauchi State, where Daniel Dabwa was abducted and where four victims were gruesomely murdered.

But to understand the issues in Bauchi, there is a need to take a historic look at Bauchi State as a whole and the issues plaguing the Zaar people, where the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara hails from.

Bauchi was founded in 1809 by Mallam Yakubu one of the flag bearers of the Sokoto Jihad and was the first emir of Bauchi. They waged war on the non-Muslim groups in the area as they resisted subjugation.

In recent times, questions of indigeneity have risen as the indigene/settler narrative continues to cause tensions. The Zaar through their historical account settled in the region from before 1345. When the Jihads begun in the 1800’s, they had a peace treaty with Yakubu, the founder of Bauchi however after the passing of Yakubu, the peace treaty was broken by Yakubu’s successors which led to oppression and in some circumstances enslavement of some of the people by the Bauchi emirate. This led to a hostile relationship between the Bauchi emirate and the Zaar people which is still ever present in Zaar consciousness according to Jimam Lar, a scholar and researcher on post-colonial Nigerian history at the University of Jos.

In recent times, in the area known as Southern Bauchi, the Zaar, are the largest Christian group in Bauchi State and their population is concentrated in the Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro and Dass federal constituency.

The first problem which is very obvious as is the case with other Middle Belt areas is that there has been intent to rename their areas to those of other ethnicities (particularly Fulfude and Hausa names). Tafawa Balewa means “black stone” in Fulfude – with Fulfude being the language of the Fulani ethnic group located in a few states in northern Nigeria.
The Zaar instead call their local government “Puji” instead of Tafawa Balewa which also means black stone but in their language.

We see this trend in other parts of the Middle Belt like Adamawa – where the name of the state was renamed to that of the Fulani jihadist “Modibo Adama” who was responsible for slaughtering the people of Adamawa in large numbers during the Jihad of 1804. And it is unimaginable that in the 21st century, mini colonialism is still ever present where others would try to dominate and rename the lands of others. This is the case of Tafawa Balewa in Bauchi State.

Reasons for the conflict have historic roots with the first being a breach of the peace treaty during the pre colonial period in Bauchi which led to conflict between Yakubus successors in the Bauchi emirate and the Zaar people.

The second arose during the colonial era according to Johannes Harnischfeger – when the British occupied Northern Nigeria and preserved the Islamic structure of the Hausa and Fulani groups in the old Northern region but attached the Non-Muslim groups (in this case the Zaar) to the emirate structure under the Fulani.

Other researchers like Adam Higazi and Jimam Lar have articulated that in recent times, Zaar leaders and organizations like the Sayawa council of elders and traditional rulers accuse the Bauchi state government of discrimination against the people of Southern Bauchi.

The problem persisted all through the colonial era since the Emirs had unlimited powers, as well as the right to distribute land and to collect taxes – this was another cause of conflict between the Zaar and the Emirates

Thirdly, in these emirates, the citizens were subject to Islamic courts despite being heathen/pagan (in the words of the British). This meant that Zaar were discriminated against in the old emirates.

It was so bad that a government commission in 1958 ascertained that Fulani judges dealing with criminal cases only admitted testimonies of male Muslim witnesses and in terms of compensation, christians and traditionalists were given only half or one-fifteenth of the amount that a Muslim could expect (Willink commission report)

By the 1950s, the Zaar had joined the UMBC – United Middle Belt Congress, the party of Northern Nigerian minority groups which had gone into an alliance with Awolowo’s Action Group (AG) and which was built on the quest to liberate ethnic minorities from the Emirate system – a move that the Hausa leaders point to as a cause for the Zaar’s recalcitrance.

The Zaar have largely remained more culturally and politically oriented towards the Non-Muslim groups of Plateau and Southern Kaduna than towards the Bauchi Emirate. Due to this reason among others, they have therefore advocated for the creation of a lowland state which will encompass Southern Bauchi and Plateau States.

On the issue relating to disturbances plaquing the area, Southern Bauchi has witnessed violence at different times in Nigeria’s history.

Violence occurred in 1959, 1977, 1991, 1995, 2001 and 2011. The first case of conflict happened in 1959 which was low in scale but since the creation of Bauchi State in 1976 by the late General Murtala Mohammed, the conflicts quickly escalated and issues as to indigeneity arose.

Since then, the Zaar accuse the Bauchi state government of stripping social amenities away from their areas during interviews with members of the community. To emphasize this point, we were able to confirm that Tafawa Balewa was stripped of its status as a local government headquarters where it was relocated to Bula, the main centre of the Hausa – Muslim district.
The police divisional headquarters was also relocated to Bununu as unjustifiable reasons were given for this move.

In sum, the Tafawa Balewa conflict is defined by two key factors – the historic evolution of the relationship between the Zaar and the Bauchi emirate, a relationship they believe has made them second-class citizens on their land – and secondly, issues over indigeneity and the founding of Tafawa Balewa.

In the wake of the riots in 1991, the Babalakin commission of inquiry was set up by the then Military administration to look into the conflict. It made recommendations of which some have still not yet been implemented in totality. The first being the creation of a chiefdom for the Zaar people of Tafawa Balewa and secondly, the prosecution of the perpetrators of the violence during that period.

Since 1991, there have been 10 governments in Bauchi and all, up to date have not implemented the recommendations of the commission of inquiry holistically. This has led a lot of analysts to see credence in what some of the Zaar people have said regarding the Bauchi State Government.

The former Governor Isa Yuguda created a Chiefdom but put its headquarters at Zwall and not Tafawa Balewa which was rejected by the Zaar people as not having complied with the recommendation of the various commissions of inquiry.

Of recent, the present Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed made the news for setting up a committee to look into the issue yet, like all governments before him, those words have been all smoke without fire.

The Zaar people in 2023 are still seeking the Chiefdom of their people and this issue is not unique to this area of the Middle Belt. We see the issue of chiefdoms as an important weapon that has been used to subjugate the Middle belt people by continuing age-long colonial policies where diverse groups instead of being granted their chiefdoms are being attached to emirates and even if they are being granted, are granted in part – and in areas away from where there are huge settlers which means that those settlers in the future could lay claim to these lands.

Another example is in Nasarawa where many groups such as the Tiv who have a whooping 11 wards have been deprived the right to have their traditional structures or chiefdoms. What this means is that they have to be under emirate rule in the state despite being largely traditionalists and christian.

We can also witness this unfolding in Southern Kaduna (the region of former Southern Zaria and not the Southern Kaduna senatorial district) where the current governor of Kaduna State has watered down most of the traditional institutions of other ethnicities whilst reinforcing his – or in specific instances where he has sent people from his ethnicity to be district heads to people of different ethnicities. As such, there must be a conscious effort to reject these attempts to deny or infiltrate the traditional structures of the Middle Belt people.

In conclusion, the most recurring theme in Nigerian political discourse is identity, ethnicity, traditional structures and land ownership. It is strange that settlers choose to have these debates with indigene Middle Belt groups when the 1958 Willink commission report showed the areas consisting of the different ethnic nationalities in present day Nigeria with little to no disagreement at that time. Infact, the then Northern regional government agreed with those mappings.

In the coming years, Nigeria will have to answer the indigene/settler question and the issue of minority rights as a whole. As for colonial documents and the intent behind migration during the colonial period, the British have clearly stated their reasons for importing groups into the geographical spaces of others. They site administrative expediency as the major reason.

The truth is that even the colonialists had a clear policy regarding the indigene/settler question and this could be used as a starting point when proffering solutions to these issues going forward.

As for the Zaar people in Southern Bauchi, the short-term solution should be the implementation of all commissions of inquiry reports holistically, a referendum regarding which State the Zaar people should belong to and the adoption of the said referendum.

From a regional perspective, a progressive step would be to adopt the Willink commission report regarding the creation of a Middle Belt region and the granting of autonomy to each ethnic nationality in the region.

Bandits invade Benue Community again, kill eight villagers

Reports have it that on the 21st of January 2023, armed groups suspected to be bandits attacked the Abagana community opposite the internally displaced persons camp located along Makurdi/Lafia road in Benue State according to the Punch Newspaper . The attack happened on Thursday night came barely two years after the community was hit with attacks that left seven persons murdered. Sources in the community informed the Punch that a family of six and two others were beheaded with their heads carted away by the armed invaders.

It was gathered that the attack left many others injured as the bandts invaded the community around 9pm and shot sporadically which left many wounded and others dead.

Lt Col Paul Hemba, Security Adviser to the Governor of Benue State confirmed the attack and said that the attack, unprovoked happened as the villagers were preparing to go to bed. Hemba gave the names of the deceased as Gbashaor Acho, Gbashaor Joseph, Anshe Dekera, Ancho Kpor, Eunice Gbashaor, Sewuese Gbashaor, Terlumun Ajoh, Emberga Gbashaor and Donald Gbashaor and confirmed that the death toll could still rise due to injuries sustained by the attacks.

He also stated that the bandits stole two motorcycles belonging to the villagers.

Killer herdsmen write Ogun communities over planned attack

Suspected killer herdsmen have written to residents of some communities in Ogun state, threatening to invade their house in a reprisal attack.

The unknown herdsmen in the notice letter of attack, a copy which was obtained by our correspondent, threw fear into the minds of the residents of Asa, Agbon, Ibeku and Oja-Odan communities in the Yewa-North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The latter was reportedly written on Saturday.

The herdsmen, in the letter written in English and Hausa languages, informed the residents of their intention of attacking the communities through the notice letter reportedly pasted on the walls in some strategic places within the communities.

The herdsmen told the leaders of the communities to expect their visitation to their homes between December and January.

The notice reads, “Attention! Attention!! Attention!! to all following communities; Asa, Agbon, lbeku, Oja-odan and its environs.

“You think you can send away our people
from the land they bought in Nigeria, our fathers land, you kill our people, you kill their cows, you take over all their properties, you think you can go scot-free. It’s high time we come for revenge.

“All the above mention communities leaders should prepare for the war between December and January. We are coming to take back our father’s property.”

When contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the development .

Oyeyemi said he had seen the letter, as he assured the concerned communities of the command’s commitment to unravel those behind the hideous act.

“Well, I saw the letter purportedly written by a baseless group. We believe it is a baseless group that wrote the letter. We are not losing any sleep because no information is too small to take note of.

“We are not neglecting it. We are working on it to unravel those behind it,” he said.

PUNCH

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.

Calls for State Police – A Middle Beltan Perspective

By Patrick Anum

Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta State and vice-presidential candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), recently spoke at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria’s (ICAN) 2022 annual conference in Abuja and offered a familiar position on the state of insecurity in Nigeria.

He recommended the adoption of state police as the solution for the growing insecurity in the country. The call for the creation of state police is not new. In September, the Northern Governors Forum along with the traditional leaders, made a strong case for the establishment of state police. They explained that it was the only way to effectively tackle the lingering terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and wanton destruction of lives and property in the region.

In the past Southern Governors have also reiterated that State police is the only solution to solve the country’s security challenges. Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo and chairman of the forum, has said in the past that the forum would continue to demand the devolution of powers to the states.

To stress this need, there has been National dialogue to this effect. During the National Confab, Delegates on the June 26, 2014, adopted the resolution in support of the establishment, funding and operation of state and community police based on state laws. Of course, none of the confab resolutions were implemented.

From a Middle Beltan perspective, purposeful consideration needs to be given regarding the establishment of state police because unless that is done, the conflict would only be partially resolved in various Middle Belt regions notably Benue, Kogi, Adamawa, Plateau, Taraba, and Nasarawa. It might, however, intensify the crisis in other areas given the histories and the colonial legacies still present in the Middle Belt.

Other regions of the Middle Belt including Southern Kaduna, Southern Gombe, Southern Bauchi, Southern Borno, Southern Kebbi and parts of Niger State could in this regard, benefit from having pre-implementation plans.

The pre implementation plans would identify the gaps that state policing would not fill, possible solutions and special strategies for implementation. An example of such implementation strategies could be the creation of more states in the aforementioned areas before the implementation of state policing apparatus.

However, if state creation is opposed by the other states, and state policing is implemented with the current structure, one can only speculate as to the mayhem that would ensue in a region like Kaduna, where tensions between the areas of Southern Kaduna and the North still exist.

The former President Olusegun Obasanjo had said in 1992 that the problems in Kaduna were attributed to historical and colonial legacies and as such, were complex issues. Many scholars have in light of these considerations advocated for state creation as a solution to the lingering conflict.

Additionally, giving non neutral persons who are state governors such powers could spell disaster in fragile Middle Beltan states.

Already there have been rising tensions between SOKAPU (Southern Kaduna Peoples Union) and El rufai, the Governor of Kaduna State.

SOKAPU and El rufai have traded blames over the causes of the conflict in Kaduna. However, a look at the activities in the state paint a picture as to if the Kaduna State Governor who is currently trying to intervene in the conflict is actually neutral.

The Governor of Kaduna State’s activities include demolishing the only Church in Kaduna State University despite the establishment of six (6) mosques in the area.

He has also reiterated that he used monies from state coffers to pay killers from foreign countries to stop murdering the people of Southern Kaduna while ignoring the possibility of collaborating with security agencies to arrest and detain marauding “foreign killer herdsmen” in his state.

Also, under suspicious circumstances, he has restructured the traditional system in Kaduna leaving people in southern  Kaduna marginalized in their own local governments.

Looking at the larger picture, not only SOKAPU have had issues with El rufai –

 In 2017, the Nigerian Union of Journalists declared Kaduna State “the most lethal state to practice journalism” and warned that “…such attacks( in the state) may not abate soon”.

At least ten journalists and internet commentators have been detained or imprisoned in Kaduna State under Governor Nasir Elrufai, including Jacob Onjewu Dickson, Midat Joseph of Leadership Newspaper, Luka Binniyat of Vanguard, and Steven Kefas an influential internet commentator. 

Abubakar Idris (also known as Dadiyata), a government critic who was kidnapped in August 2019, has not yet been identified either dead or alive. 

It is plausible that the people of Southern Kaduna are not overly hopeful about the prospect of the state policing model being a solution to insecurity in the region.

Gombe State also serves as another case study for the postulation as to why state policing under the current model would serve as a disaster.

It also provides insight as to what the capabilities of having state police might entail for the non-Muslim groups in these areas.

Due to the State Government’s persistent interference with the traditional structures in the State, there have been ongoing accusations from non-Muslim groups in the state regarding the Governor of Gombe, Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya’s authoritarian activities.

Despite coming from a completely different ethnic group, the State Governor Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya attempted to impose a different candidate from the one who had been selected to be the Mai Tangale by King makers in March 2021.

According to reports, members of the Tangale traditional council at the time had either been detained or forced to flee the state as protests sparked crackdowns that resulted in injuries and fatalities

Another individual Alhaji Danladi Sanusi Maishanu whom the Governor tried to impose on the Tangale people had not even ascended the throne when he started making efforts to replace their cherished emblem which previously was (a snake  on a hill – with the moon and star emblem) signifying Islam.

Critics have questioned whether this is the reason why Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya, the governor of the state, had shown such interest in who ascended the throne of the Tangale people.

Another example that illustrates this point would be happenings in Borno State, where we can analyze Kashim Shettima’s actions as former governor.

The Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria had advised Nigerians not to support the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 elections considering the vice presidential nominees activities as the former governor of Borno State. This recommendation was made in an article by Sahara reporters.

The first concerning situation which arose was when Governor Shettima was in charge of Borno State and neglected to enforce the N18,000 minimum wage in the local governments that were predominately Christian.

On the other hand, all the northern and central Borno LGAs, where the Shuwa-Arab and Kanuri tribes are predominately Muslims and there are little to no Christians, he introduced the N18,000 minimum wage.

He refused to enforce the minimum wage in the nine local government areas (LGAs) in southern Borno, where the Kwana, Kibaku, Putai, Bura and others, make up around 85% of the Christians population in the area. 

Even when the Borno State Government sought to hire some judges, all applicants from the Southern region who were of Christian extraction were regrettably ignored.

When a Christian traditional ruler in northern Nigeria passes away, according to Reverend Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, “the governor influences, enforces, and appoints a Muslim to take over, attempting to restructure the traditional institution along Islamic lines.”

He increased the scope by mentioning how “Governor Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna State implemented same in Kajuru LGA. Mallam Musa Bello, FCT Minister equally did the same in Bwari area council and how now, they’re trying to enforce a Muslim on Eggon people in Akwanga, Nasarawa state.

The kidnapping of more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls, which gained international news, was the most damning indictment on Shettima.

Goodluck Jonathan, a former president, claimed on page 21 of his book “My Transition Hours” that Shettima was in his words, “terribly interested” in the SSCE exam of the secondary school students in Chibok at the time.

In addition, Kashim Shettima was so interested that they remain in the school and complete their final secondary school (high school) exams there that he disregarded the West African Examinations Council’s request to have the students sit in a more secure setting.

The previous president questioned why the former governor would be that interested in a single school’s SSCE exam.

He also questioned why the Governor, who lacked police authority, would guarantee protection, and he thought it would have been far more plausible if the Commissioner of Police had alternatively made such guarantees especially considering the fact that the Governor just serves as the police chief in name.

How a Governor could miss such a call also baffled him.

It should be noted that there has been significant pressure meted out on even independent state policy. For example, even in Middle Beltan states like Benue, which have been largely autonomous and where anti-grazing laws have been adopted, the current PDP presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other northern elite have disagreed and fought against such policies with belligerence. The current vice Presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar even went as far as arguing that such laws were against the freedom of movement of certain sections of people in Nigeria and was therefore unconstitutional.

If resistance to autonomous state policy can be this controversial, how much more could it be in instances where people with different worldviews were being forced to coexist in the same state with their harassers.

It should be stressed that, without the necessary restructuring, giving such aforementioned individuals more authority at state level could spell certain catastrophe for the indigenous nationalities of the Middle Belt.

Restructuring is required to give Middle Belt communities their own leadership, legitimate ownership of their land in areas where they are endangered by roving herders, bandits, militia, and restructuring could even solve the problem of authoritarian and repressive political regimes in these areas.

In conclusion, there needs to be pre implementation plans that provide adequate restructuring – before there can be any talk of state police enactment.

Restructuring groups in Nigeria along regional and civilizational lines could be a preferred solution, and in the case of the Middle Belt, this means adopting previous reports that call for the creation of independent states in Southern Kaduna, Southern Gombe, Southern Kebbi, Southern Borno, and sections of Niger, as well as their inclusion to other parts of the Middle Belt, as was the intention of the minority report in 1958.

The adoption of state policy could then be carried out – and would result in little conflict there after.

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). 

UNKNOWN GUNMEN: GOV. UMAHI IS A PERSON OF INTEREST TO HELP RESOLVE THE MYSTERY- SAYS HURIWA 

Prominent Civil rights advocacy group-: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked the elected political leaders of the South East zone in the National Assembly, the governors and traditional leaders of all Igbo speaking States to task the Ebonyi State governor Dave Umahi to kindly volunteer information that could lead to the unraveling of the faces behind the Killings in the South East of Nigeria since he has already identified the Ethnicity of the unknown gunmen. HURIWA said IGBO PEOPLE MUST DEMAND THIS INFORMATION IN GREATER DETAILS URGENTLY.

HURIWA recalled that the  Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi had reportedly the unknown gunmen terrorising southeast Nigeria and killing people as those who hail from the region and not outsiders.

Answering questions regarding the identities of the killers on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Umahi said the atrocities committed in the region were largely carried out by youths from there.

He said, “People tend to be funny at times when they say that we have been invaded by outsiders, but it is not true.

“We have people from other regions that are in the South East. There’s no tribe that doesn’t have criminality. I wouldn’t say some of these people from other tribes don’t engage in criminality.

“What I call bandits are people that engage in violence; and they are our people, South-East people. The youths, some of them are in this category.

“So, when people say insecurity in the South-East is being imported, I do not buy that. Because I am a Governor, I do security reports. We have arrested a number of these people, and it should be that they are about five or 14 per cent of those outside the South-East. If we have 90 per cent of our youths engaging in these things, you cannot say the South-East is being infiltrated.”He also said, “We engaged with some of the bandits, we made contacts with some of them. We had to say, what is your problem? If it is infrastructure, we have done that. “If it is jobs creation, we have addressed that through direct labour. The bandits are angry about the lack of what to do, and we said to them that if your only trouble is that you didn’t have formal education, there is no job for you to do.

“We put them together and said, if you will stop attacks on our strategic inf rastructure, killing of our people and attack on security agencies, we can rehabilitate you. So, we have rehabilitated a number of them.”

HURIWA in a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko praised the Ebonyi State governor for publicly disclosing the Ethnic identity of the UNKNOWN GUNMEN thereby ending the spectre of misidentity of these murdererous terrorists destroying the Igbo Motherland. HURIWA however said rather than engaging in media showmanship in a matter as sensitive as the terrorists destroying the South East of Nigeria,  the Ebony State governor should be challenged by all Igbo people to meet with the National security Adviser, the DG of DSS, the Chief of Army Staff and the IGP together with the governors of the SOUTH EAST REGION and Civil society leaders of South East extraction so the governor can do the South East the favour of FULL DISCLOSURE ON THOSE UNKNOWN GUNMEN HE HAS NOW REVEALED THEIR ETHNICITY AND HE MUST DO THIS WITHIN 74 HOURS OR BE TAKEN AS A JOKER. 

IPOB’s Close Shave With Disaster Is An Opportunity To Rethink And Recalibrate 

Tony Nnadi

LNC-NINAS Joint Secretariat.

07 May 2022

It appears that the May 6, 2022 story on the UK terror-designation of IPOB (Indigenous People Of Biafra) was a mischievous online media exaggeration of adjustments announced by the UK about asylum seekers. 

While some sigh of relief would not be out of place, even if only for the huge collateral damage that would have accompanied such a designation by the UK, the incident is an indication of where things could go next for IPOB, not only in the UK but in the US and Europe. 

The situation also offers the leaders of IPOB, fractured as it may be, as well as all the other “Biafra Restoration” groups, an opportunity for deep introspection and a total reconfiguration of strategy if Self-Determination and Freedom are really their goals. 

The Grand Strategy (of Constitutional Force Majeure) already deployed by the LNC and its NINAS Allies for the Liberation, Self-Determination and Freedom of Eastern Nigeria and the other constituent components (ie NINAS Territory) of the defunct Federation of Nigeria is already yielding significant results, especially in the defeat and termination of the operation of the 1999 Constitution along with the Unitary Union it foists, in a setting that precipitates the Transitioning that will midwife Regional Self-Determination Referendums as first steps towards the emergence of fresh constitutional protocols dictated by the outcome of the Referendums, as well as the inalienable Self-Determination imperative for freed constituent components.  

This is irreversible progress towards the Self-Determination Destination and so those in the South and Middle-Belt of Nigeria who also seek that Destination, will do well to realign their campaign to this NINAS Grand Strategy which is POTENT, and is moving on with increasing determination and successes.

In all of this, LNC-NINAS makes a distinction between the clear-minded criminals (conmen) who set up the rogue Biafra Franchise, and the hoodwinked Biafra-seeking multitude. Therefore, this invitation is for that disillusioned and now frustrated multitude who have simply been wanting their inalienable right to Self-Determination.

Sparing Bello Turji, persecuting Nnamdi Kanu hypocritical, unjust, unconstitutional: HURIWA slams FG

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Sunday, lambasted security agents and the Federal Government for being dishonest in its fight against banditry and insurgency in the country. HURIWA also accused heads of security agencies who are mostly Moslem Northerners of looking the other way as Fulani terrorists import sophisticated weapons into Nigeria through the North West with which they use to terrorise Nigerians. 

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said it was hypocritical of the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari to continue persecuting the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu; while leaving notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, to continue terrorising residents of North-West zone.

The group said Turji, emboldened by the fact that security agents have continuously failed to arrest him, granted a full-fledged interview to Daily Trust recently, detailing his criminality and his many deadly assaults on innocent Nigerians. HURIWA carpeted the National Broadcasting Commission for doing nothing even after the terrorist was granted live interview but the same NBC almost took away the licence if Chajnels television just for interviewing the Spokesoerson the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Comrade Emma Powerful. HURIWA said the current administration is full of double standards.  

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is unthinkable that Fulani bandits and terrorists continue to wreak havoc on Nigerians yet they are spared by security agents who flex muscle to victimize a self-determination agitator in the person of Kanu. 

“Whereas terrorism is a world crime, self-determination is legally recognized by the constitution and Article 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which states thus: “All peoples shall have the right to existence. They shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination. They shall freely determine their political status and shall pursue their economic and social development according to the policy they have freely chosen.

“The persistent threats posed by armed Fulani herdsmen across the country is alarming and they are having a field day because security agents look away. The fact that till date, not a single of the armed Fulani herdsmen responsible for hundreds of deaths has been arrested, prosecuted and punished press home this point.

“Where are the 400 Bureau De Change operators indicted for terror financing? Has the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), published their names or prosecuted them for over a year now?

“It is, however, ironical that the same minister has been illegally prosecuting Kanu for over eight months now since the IPOB leader was abducted from Kenya has continuous demonised the leader of IPOB in the media.

“President Buhari, Malami, security agents must be patriotic enough to fish out Bello Turji and his gang. If a reporter without arms from Daily trust can locate Turji, what excuse does our security agents have not to bring down the notorious terrorist? A criminal who should be sent to where he belongs now grants television interviews like a celebrity because of his tribe. It is sad.

“It is again unfortunate that for about a month since brazen Fulani herdsmen invaded some communities in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, forcibly displacing autochthonous dwellers to plan permanent settlement, security agents have not arrested any of the invaders. FULANI herdsmen are busy killing citizens all across Nigeria but the Federal Government pampers them. 

“The President and the entire heads of internal security agencies who are all Fulani and Moslem northerners should blame themselves for allowing Fulani herdsmen to amass weapons of mass destruction at the disadvantage of the nation’s armed forces. 

“There should be an honest, patriotic, transparent and open investigation by the National Assembly to resolve this huge threat which may undermine the conduct of the 2023 polls.”

March 13, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

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

Benue Residents Abandon communities, As Herdsmen Invade, Plan Permanent Occupation

Residents of several Benue communities across four wards of; Yonov, Tomboe, Turan and Nenzev, in the Logo Local Government Area of the State, have abandoned and fled their communities over the influx of Fulani herdsmen into the area.

A community leader, Joseph Anawah who was a media aide to an ex-governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam, raised the alarm on Tuesday.

He said some communities in the four wards had been invaded by herders with more than 1,000 cows.

The invasion, according to Anawah, is posing a serious threat to neighbouring communities in the Buruku and Guma local government areas.

Anawah said the herders crossed the River Benue and settled at the Tse Azaye, Tse Agah, Tse Getim and Tse Iosun communities in the Tombo ward.

He added that the herders later migrated through Akwana in the neighbouring Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State and moved through Kurungu village to the Tombo ward from where they proceeded straight to Tse June in the Turan ward in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

He stated, “On February 20, 2022, around 8pm, herdsmen arrived at Tse Ikyegh in the Yonov council ward of the Logo LGA with over 1,000 cows and settled beside the Logo stream.

“They migrated from the Tombo council ward in Logo and proceeded straight to the Yonov community in the interior part of the Ugondo geopolitical axis after causing a lot of destruction to cassava farms and seed yams in the Tombo and Turan council wards.

“They are so hostile and do not want anybody to come close to them. The residents, on sighting the arrival of cows, started packing out of their villages for the fear of the unknown.

“When the kindred Head of the Mbaifu community,  Gbamga Nengem, visited their settlement to know  their mission in his community, they told him clearly that they had come for settlement and any attempt to evict them, either by the host community or government agencies, would invoke their anger and they would be left with no option but to resort to physical and open confrontation.”

Anawah called on the government and security operatives in the state to help beef up security in the Logo council area to avert a crisis.

When contacted by punch newspaper the Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Benue State chapter, Ibrahim Galma, who claimed to be in Abuja, asked for time to confirm the report and promised to call back.

But as of the time of filing this report, Galma had yet to call back as promised and refused to take further calls made to his mobile telephone.

The Deputy Governor of the state, told Benson Abounu, said he had yet to receive a report from the Logo Local Government Area over the alleged influx of herdsmen and their cattle.