Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has appealed to restive agitators for self-government in the South East to cease fire and opt for constructive dialogues if they were behind the series of bloody violence just as the Rights group has strongly condemned the violent killing and burning of armed security forces by a yet-to-be determined group of armed non-state actors in Imo State.

HURIWA said it was inconceivable that security operatives sent to the state to maintain law and order were subjected to gruesome and painful death in the hands of unidentified bunch of armed non-state actors who have thrown Imo State into a state of war, anarchy, doom and bloodbath. The rights group has also called on politicians to set their differences aside and work collectively to restore peace, stability and state-wide consensus on how best to bring about total reconciliation and concord in the state hitherto known for its ability to attract tourists from all over the world.

HURIWA has also called for a broad-based investigation of these killings to actually ascertain the suspected killers and for effective justice delivery to be operationalised. “We are again calling on the relevant security agencies to investigate the scope of operation of the self acclaimed private soldiers commanded by the former Niger Delta militant leader, Mr Asari Dokubo, who confirmed that he carried out military operations in the South East under the directive of immediate-past President, Muhammadu Buhari,” the group said in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko.

HURIWA was reacting against the backdrops of the story filtering out of Imo State, that gunmen killed eight security personnel, including soldiers, police officers, and members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. The Rights group described the crime as despicable, reprehensible and disgusting and appealed for total ceasefire from all armed non-state and state actors in Imo State for the sake of the millions of Imo citizens that have faced constant ordeals of witnessing bloody violence intermittently. “Imo citizens deserve to live in peace and concord and Imo State has suffered for far too long from unnecessary shedding of innocent blood,” the group said.

The tragedy whichh occurred on Tuesday morning in Umualumaku village, Ehime Mbano local government area, has caused concern in the locals. “HURIWA is urging the Army, DSS, Police not to contemplate carrying out revenge mission which will simply be a targeted genocidal killing of innocent residents,” the rights group said.

The joint security taskforce team, in two security trucks, were ambushed and set ablaze by their attackers. None of them survived as they were burnt inside their operational vehicles.

Sources said that reinforcement teams have been sent to the scene of the incident with the intent to arrest the suspects and recover the corpses of the slain security operatives.

The community has been thrown into confusion, owing to the development.

HURIWA in the statement stated that bloodshed and violence do not result in any progressive development just as the rights group called on the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to consider the public good of Imo State and reconsider his decision to go for a second term in office given that his administration has substantially brought untold hardships, killings, maiming and destruction of lives and property of citizens, inadvertently. “HURIWA is not blaming the governor for instigating the violence but he has to realise that the killings have gone on for far too long and the casualty rates are really getting extremely unacceptable. The sacrifice he needs to make is to relinquish his second term ambition for the sake of the survival of Imo State.

“HURIWA recommends that no amount of sacrifice is too much to make if that will bring about lasting peace, concord and stability in Imo State,” the rights group said. It lamented that instead of the political leaders of Imo State working for lasting peace and security of the state, they were all preoccupied with the November 2023 gubernatorial election as if they prefer to preside over a subnational entity engulfed in unending war and bloodshed. HURIWA has also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take steps to end the armed restiveness all over Nigeria.

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