The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the increasing trend of vicious terrorists suicide attacks in the North East of Nigeria and has tasked the Federal Government to direct the Department of State Security (DSS) to deploy intelligence-driven strategies to apprehend the masterminds and bring them to swift justice.

The civil rights group said the unrelenting violence going on in the North East and parts of North Central which has led to the gruesome killing of over eight thousand Nigerians thus year alone and the destruction of properties including the displacement of Nigerians must be rapidly brought under control.

HURIWA added that the reason for the increasing spate of attacks is because the security agencies have yet to effectively activate intelligence-led mechanisms to uncover the kingpins who have continuously sent out uninformed teenage girls and vulnerable elderly women as couriers of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which have successfully killed several innocent Nigerians in Yobe, Borno, Gombe and Plateau states in recent times.

HURIWA urged the Federal Government to appoint a non-partisan hierarchy for the DSS to be led by a director general who has the professional competencies and leadership capacities to train and deploy high calibre professional intelligence gathering operatives to the fields especially in the North East of Nigeria to work vigorously to break into the secrecy of the masterminds and funders of Boko Haram terrorists as the most pragmatic strategy to stop these deadly attacks.

HURIWA said: “The terrorism warfare can’t be successfully waged by the combatants in the fields alone without the intelligence components to break, degrade and decimate the ranks of those who actively coordinate the ongoing suicide bombing campaigns of Boko Haram. The DSS is critical in this counter terrorism war.

“The police is also strategic. Nigeria must retool and retrain the operatives to be able to effectively deploy efficient intelligence gathering skills to get to the roots of those who recruit and sent out bombers into crowded market places, bus parks and places of worship. This is not the time for Mr. President to give a top level appointment such as Director General of DSS to one of his party faithful or even a retired SSS official from his Ethnic nationality.

“This is the time that only active, competent and professionally vibrant Nigerian should be made the head of DSS. The need to uncover the identities of the founders of Boko Haram has become imperative because that's the best way to cut down the taproot of suicide bombers.”

HURIWA in the media statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, said it is imperative that the President implement workable strategies to rapidly bring these incessant bloodshed to an end or risk losing credibility because the primary purpose of government is to provide security of lives and property of the citizenry.

•Photo shows Onwubiko.

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