The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the release of suspected killers of an Abuja based female preacher of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Mrs. Eunice Elisha, describing the action of law enforcement agencies in the murder case as criminal.

“The Abuja Police Commissioner acted in a very criminal manner to have authorised the release of suspects who allegedly lynched a female Redeemed Christian Church Evangelist in Kubwa, Abuja in front of a Mosque last year July, “the association stated, calling for street protests.

“The nebulous excuse that those suspects were released because there was no prima facie evidence linking them to that dastardly crime of gruesome murder of a female Abuja preacher is a serious indictment of the FCT Police Command as accomplices to that killing or that the FCT Police Command is already infiltrated by jihadists and their sympathisers,” the National Coordinator of the association, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf said in a statement.

The rights group therefore called on Nigerians to speak out in condemnation of what it described as “high-wired cover-up being played out by the jihadists -infested FCT command of the Nigeria Police.” HURIWA called for “street protests before January ending in Abuja to demand immediate redress.”

HURIWA recalled that the Deaconess at the Divine Touch Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God was murdered by suspected Islamists while she was reportedly preaching in front of a Mosque around the Pipeline Area of Kubwa, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, in early July of 2016.

The rights group also recalled that the lynched Evangelist who was a mother of seven children was cut severally in the neck and stabbed severally in her stomachs by suspected Islamists who allegedly were displeased that she often preached whilst passing through their Mosque.

“The Police at that time said some arrests were made but failed to either name them or charge them to court just as the Police secretly released all the suspects rounded up in connection with this dastardly crime with a wishy-washy explanation that the police couldn’t find any link between the suspects and the crime.

“HURIWA however, raised alarm of a sinister pattern whereby killers of Southerners are simply set free just because majority of the Police officers share ethno-religious affinities with majority of these Northern born hoodlums who deliberately carry out this religious hate crime on the streets of the Nigerian capital city.”

The group also alleged that the FCT Police command has also failed to charge to court of competent jurisdiction, the mostly Hausa tricycle riders who murdered an Igbo trader in Apo district of Abuja last year over disagreement with transportation fare.

HURIWA said thus: “Whilst we condemn this evil trend taking shape in the FCT police command we will take a number of measures including calling on Nigerians of all affiliations to join us in a proposed street rally in Abuja sometimes this month which date would be communicated via social media to present letters of protests to the National Assembly to demand action in both the short, medium and long term to get the police to behave professionally and fetch out the killers of this Female Evangelist for prosecution for crime against humanity. We will by Monday send strong worded letters to the Police Service Commission to ask that the FCT Police Commissioner is sacked for disloyalty to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

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