Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has advocated immediate cessation of deployment of operatives of Ebubeagu, the vigilante outfit of Ebonyi State.

The group is also calling on the National Assembly to pass a resolution condemning the atrocities allegedly committed by Ebubeagu operatives..

HURIWA spoke against the backdrops of the reported abduction by Ebubeagu armed operatives in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State of erstwhile Information Commissioner, Chief Abia Onyike, who is the Spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party's Governorship Candidate for the 2023 poll.

In the same vein, the Rights group in a statement by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, described as absolutely despicable, the reported machete attack by an allegedly operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) who fatally attacked the Director-General of the Abia State PDP Governorship Candidate and a former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Barrister Chinedum Elechi.

Calling on the Director-General of the DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, to take stringent steps to stamp out professional misconduct and gross indiscipline amongst some operatives of the agency accused in July of extra judicial killings of over a dozen wedding guests in Imo State and now, a knife attack in Umuahia, Abia State.

HURIWA recalled that around July 18th, this year, following widespread condemnation of the assassination by security forces of over a dozen wedding guests in Orlu Imo state, the Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, in a tepid attempt to deflate widening criticism of the bloodshed, reportedly said the DSS would give details of what transpired regarding the alleged killings of youths at Awommama, Oru East Local Government Area, and Otulu community, Oru West Local Government Area of the state.

HURIWA recalled that it was reported that the youths who were returning from a traditional wedding ceremony in Awomamma in Oru East, to Otulu in Oru West LGA, were attacked by suspected members of the Ebubeagu security outfit. In the encounter, no fewer than 14 youths were attacked and reportedly seven were killed and many injured.

HURIWA maintained that it is unfortunate that over a dozen youths of Igbo origin were wasted by the DSS under the guise of a security operation as claimed by the Imo State Governor when the preponderance of opinions by stakeholders, including the Catholic Church, remains that these Wedding guests were simply executed by the DSS.

The rights group warned that if internal mechanisms were not activated by the DSS to identify and prosecute the murderers in DSS uniforms, the attention of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands may inevitably be invited to investigate these murders.

HURIWA speaking specifically on the incident in Umuahia, the Abia State capital on Sunday, recalled that the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, had expressed outrage over the brutal attack and multiple machete cuts inflicted on Hon Chinedum Elechi who is the Director-General of Uche NdiAbia Campaign Organisation.

He alleged that the person behind the attack was an operative of the DSS from Ebonyi State Command. However, it could not be ascertained what brought the operative to Umuahia. The attack left Elechi with multiple matchete cuts all over his body.

The governor demanded “a thorough investigation into this inexplicable display of murderous barbarism,” and urged the Abia State Commissioner of Police “to ensure that the assailant is made to face the full weight of the law.”

HURIWA condemns this brutality on a citizen of Nigeria and is challenging the Nigerian Police and the DSS to charge the indicted operative for attempted murder and ensure he gets the harshest punishment from the competent court of law to serve as deterrent.

HURIWA is challenging the Abia State government to act as a government by using the state's Justice system to prosecute the alleged knife attacker because the crime occurred in Abia State and the state must not act as a coward because the accused person belongs to the DSS.

The group adds that “nobody in Nigeria is above the law,” and urged Abia State Governor to stop barking at the attacker but to let the state’s justice administrators take charge of the prosecution of this alleged knife attacker whose action, if proven, is a disgrace to the DSS.

HURIWA recalled that in Ebonyi State whereby the Journalist and erstwhile Information Commissioner, Abia Onyike, was gruesomely tortured, it was reported that the operatives of the Ebubeagu Security Outfit abducted and tortured a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State, Chief Abia Onyike.

HURIWA gathered that Onyike, also a former Deputy National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, was abducted at Octovia Pharmacy on Water Works Road, Abakaliki, where he was said to have gone to buy some drugs for his medication. While in the pharmaceutical store, two hefty armed men suspected to be Ebebeagu members walked in there, bundled him into their Sienna bus, and whisked him away.

The victim, who is a key spokesperson for the PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 general election in Ebonyi State, Dr Ifeanyi Odii, was reportedly taken to Ebubeagu Office in Abakaliki, where he was ordered to remove his clothes and brutally beaten up, until a call came for his release.

Ebebuagu Commander in the state, Friday Nnanna, had explained that Onyike’s arrest was mistakenly done as he was arrested in the location where a suspect was being trailed.

“Immediately after his name, place of origin and personality was ascertained, he was released,” Nnanna.

HURIWA has called for the arrest and prosecution of the Commander and operatives of the Ebubeagu that executed the operation that amounted to attempted extrajudicial execution.

The group condemned the fact that Ebubeagu continues to torment and torture political opponents of Ebonyi State’s Governor and President Muhammadu Buhari and the heads of all the security agencies at the centre have done nothing to restrain the armed security operatives from aiding and abetting these acts of political terrorism in Ebonyi State.

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