The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has tasked the military chiefs at the Defence Headquarters to stop deceiving Nigerians with press statements about a proposed military campaign but should immediately roll out their military capabilities and intelligence to decisively crush the armed Fulani attackers.

Conversely, the rights group applauded the Ekiti State House of Assembly and Governor Ayodele Fayose for bringing into being a state law to prohibit the breeding of cattle within the state by armed herders.

HURIWA said the recently enacted law to check activities of armed Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti State passed by the state legislature and sign into law by Governor Fayose is in total compliance with part two Section 7 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which provides that: “The House of Assembly of a state shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the state or any part thereof.”

The group has therefore warned the federal security forces not to undermine the enforcement of this good law even if otherwise directed by the President of the Federal Republic since the provision of the constitution are inviolable, sacrosanct and absolutely binding on all persons and authorities as provided in section 1 (1) of the Constitution.

On the undue delay by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters to enforce the law to stop the incessant armed Fulani attacks, which have led to nearly 5,000 casualties this year alone, the rights group said it is an act of sabotage and a serious impeachable offence on the part of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Rights group lamented that whereas the military high command was quick in deploying men and combat equipment to the restive Niger Delta region to go after militants who are bombing crude oil installations, the same defense headquarters has taken near eternity to activate military mechanisms to stop the rampaging armed Fulani attackers who have now expanded their frontiers of deadly terrorism to the South East of Nigeria.

The group warned of the wider national security implications and imminent threats the continuous tolerance of the violent attacks by herders could have on the country in both the medium and longer terms.

HURIWA recalled that in the aftermath of the first April 2016 armed Fulani attack in Nimbo, Enugu State, President Buhari had reportedly ordered the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin and the Inspector General of Police, to go after the herdsmen that are terrorising people in some parts of the country.

Buhari who gave the directive also asked the security chiefs to secure areas where the suspected killer herders are operating.

Besides, HURIWA said the spokesman of the Defence Headquarters, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, had since April 2016, given several assurances that the Presidential directive would be respected, it however, regretted that no concrete intelligence-led military action has been activated to arrest, prosecute and punish the armed Fulani herdsmen who proceeded to launch a second deadly attack in the same Enugu State in late August leading to scores of casualties including a final year catholic seminarian.

HURIWA has therefore reaffirm its clarion call on President Buhari and the National Assembly to act fast and stop the killings to save Nigeria from the imminent implosion that may follow the continuous attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen who appear to be enjoying federal endorsement.

The rights group said the current administration is obliged to stop the killings and proceed to arrest and prosecute the alleged killers in a competent courts of law or the top hierarchy of the security architecture should be prepared to live with the consequences of possible filing of petitions by non- governmental organisations locally and internationally before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands for prosecution over crimes against humanity in line with the Rome Treaty, which Nigeria signed on to.

•Photo shows Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin.

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