The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for the prosecution of the Enugu State Commissioner of Police; the State Director of DSS; State Director of Nigeria Civil Defence and all the military commanders responsible for Enugu and South East following the disclosure by the Enugu State’s Chief Security Officer and the governor of Enugu State Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi that all security agencies in the state were aware of the mass killings of Nimbo people in Enugu State several hours before the armed Fulani herdsmen struck but did nothing to stop it.

HURIWA, in a statement signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, also endorsed the decision of the Enugu State Government to set up a judicial commission of inquiry into the remote and immediate causes of the genocide in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State by armed Fulani herdsmen recently.

The group, therefore, asked the Enugu State governor to ensure that the judicial panel is not used to grant safe-landing to the security officials who colluded with the anarchists to undertake the terrorism acts against Enugu State people.

HURIWA said it has prevailed on partner organisations and prominent non-governmental individuals to exercise restraints and not proceed with the threat to file a petition on the matter before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, for prosecution over crimes against humanity of top Nigerian Security Commanders until 21 working days after the judicial probe in Enugu is activated and evidence emerge that it is a smokescreen then we will proceed to the International Criminal Court.

On why all the security commanders of the Armed Forces posted to Enugu State must be arrested and prosecuted for criminal negligence or conspiracy to perpetrate crimes against humanity, HURIWA said there are clear writing on the wall showing ominous signs that these Enugu based Security chiefs knew much more than the rest of us which they have to explain before the competent judicial forum for their spectacular collusion advertently or inadvertently with genocidal elements masquerading as Fulani herdsmen who committed the grave crime against humanity in Enugu State in the South East of Nigeria.

HURIWA said the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari must not be seen to be playing any surreptitious role of cover up of this dastardly crime against Enugu State by failing to fire with immediate effect the affected security officials.

The Rights group warned that failure to let top security heads to roll could be interpreted to mean that President Muhammadu Buhari is as guilty as those Enugu based Security chiefs who looked the other way and let in the armed Fulani terrorists to unleash violence on Enugu State.

•Photo shows Gov. Ugwuanyi shedding tears at Nimbo community on Monday during an assessment of the havoc caused by the invading Fulani herdsmen.

Update news