Alarmed by the expanding frontiers of sectarian killings masterminded by unruly youth in Northern Nigeria, a call has again gone to President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation through a national broadcast on the ugly trends immediately.

Besides, the Pro-democracy group Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has reiterated its call for the immediate reorganization of the nation’s top security architecture and personnel to make the hierarchies a reflection of the ethno-religious compositions of a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria.

The rights group said the growing activities of Islamic fundamentalists stems from the widespread belief by the Northern youthful hoodlums that top security positions are in the hands of just a section (Islamic segment of Northern Nigeria) and therefore they have the license to commit anti-Christian hate crimes.

In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA also condemned the nation’s police hierarchy for making Nigeria a laughing stock globally through their illegal arrest and laughable arraignment on Monday, in Ogun State, of a Nigerian man only because he named his pet dog ‘buhari’.

The rights group stated that the police action in its current fruitless and self-serving prosecution of Mr. Joe Chinakwe in Ogun State for purportedly naming his dog ‘buhari’ amounted to chasing shadows by a totally unprofessional and incompetent police that has so far failed to curb the rising violent organized social crime all over Nigeria.

'Dogs bear Jack all over the World including Abuja and Nigeria's former military dictator retired General Yakubu Gowon has a similar middle name and not a single dog owner has been arrested', HURIWA stated.

On the killing of nine Christian students of the Zamfara State Polytechnics in Talata-Mafara in Zamfara State by youths armed to their tooth for alleged blasphemy, the HURIWA condemned it as outrageous, primitive, gruesome and absolutely intolerable even as it demanded severe penalties for the offenders including the death penalty.

The Rights group said both the Federal and Zamfara State authorities must be blamed for their conspiratorial failure to stop the atrocities and for failing to adopt proactive measures to check such primitive criminal acts particularly when such a dastardly crime had happened nearby in Kano State only a few months ago.

“The Nigerian State has consistently refused to carry out the most primary duty of government which is the protection of lives and property which as clearly spelt out in Section 14 (2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution, the government’s primary responsibility is the security and welfare of the people.”

HURIWA also blamed the unconstitutional elevation of a particular religion above all other religions in most parts of Northern Nigeria by Northern Governors even when the constitution outlaws such in Section 10 in the following unambiguous terms: “The Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion.”

The group said it was unfortunate that a certain Northern governor had recently vowed to deploy state resources for the promotions of Islamic causes.

HURIWA reminded the Northern Governors that Nigeria remains a secular and/multi religious society and therefore any attempt to foist a state religion could lead to civil war.

“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to take the following measures: Visit the scene of these brutal killings of Christians to pacify the families of these victims and pay heavy compensations; address a national broadcast highlighting short, immediate and long term strategic plan of action by this government to curb the growing spate of sectarian killings by Islamic fundamentalists and reorganize his lopsided pro-Islamic defense/Police appointments to reflect federal character of Nigeria."

The group further affirmed: "First it was in Kano State whereby an Igbo lady was mobbed to death and beheaded by Islamic extremists for this same primitive allegations of blasphemy, then the Yoruba woman Pastor of Redeem Church in Abuja was killed because she preached near a Kubwa Mosque, then an Igbo trader in Apo was killed over framed up allegation of not paying appropriate fare to tricycle operator from the North who mobilized his fellow street urchins to lynch the innocent passenger.

"These killings were also followed by the criminal mob attack of Catholic Women Worshippers in Suleja near Abuja and the physical assault of the Catholic Priest by Muslim Youth for staging a Christian Ceremony on Friday. Mr. President must see these killings together with the sporadic and intermittent killings of farmers by armed Fulani herdsmen as grave threats to national security and direct far-reaching military and intelligence-led security pro-active steps to stop them”.

HURIWA is also tasking President Buhari to take steps to ensure that in States whereby such sectarian killings had occurred that his minister of Justice partners with the State Attorneys General to prosecute effectively the offenders in the competent courts of law and punished for these crime against humanity.

The group has also called for death penalty for these mobsters. HURIWA recalled that nine people were killed yesterday in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State in violence that broke out over an alleged insult against Prophet Muhammad by a Christian who is a student of Abud-Gusau Polytechnic Talata Mafara.

HURIWA learnt that the violence started within the polytechnic premises between Hausa–Muslim and an Ebira Christian. The student allegedly insulted the Prophet.

•Photo shows President Buhari.

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