The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has blamed the activities of armed freelance killers and killer herdsmen to President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to declare the perpetrators as terrorists.

HURIWA noted that herdsmen are having field days across the country killing, maiming and destroying precious lives and property of citizens without the relevant armed security forces and the different levels of governments adopting fool-proof measures to bring these orgies of blood cuddling attacks to an end.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA also condemned what it described as strange killings in Rivers State. It expressed the view that the circumstances of the killings "can at best be described as shrouded in high wire plots from external forces to instigate a state of unrests in order to justify the calls by some agents of darkness for emergency declaration to crumble the state.”

The group expressed shock that at all levels of government, public office holders care less about the rampaging attacks and senseless killings of ordinary citizens by armed Fulani herdsmen and armed freelance killers probably because the Nigerian state spends a fortune at public expense to provide all round security to the political class. The group said the current electioneering year may be bloody unless the federal and state governments adopt proactive approach to crime prevention and control.

HURIWA called on Buhari and the governors of the major flashpoints of these incessant attacks such as Kaduna, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Kwara and Kogi states to brace up for the challenge of carrying out their primary constitutional duties of protecting lives and property of Nigerians and to provide succour to the victims and their families while ensuring that armed mass murderers of all backgrounds are brought to effective justice.

The rights group said “the refusal and/or failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to outrightly proclaim armed Fulani herdsmen as terrorists is a violation of his constitutional oath of office not to allow his personal interest to interfere with the discharge of his constitutional obligations to Nigerians of all affiliations.”

It also pointed out that “the overwhelming public perception is that the rampaging armed Fulani herdsmen are allowed by the relevant armed security forces and even allegedly aided to carry out these carefully choreographed and coordinated pogroms of mostly Christian dominated communities in all parts of Nigeria in the guise of fighting for grazing rights only because he is not just a Fulani by ethnicity but is said to be the National Patron of the Association of Fulani Herdsmen.”

Furthermore, HURIWA condemned what it described as “clear display of partisanship by operatives of the much criticised Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Rivers State,” asking the National Assembly to investigate all the violence and mass murders that have occurred all across Nigeria carried out by the Nigerian Police Force and SARS to be specific including the recent killings of some youngsters in Cross Rivers State who allegedly had minor disagreement with the Cross Rivers Commissioner for Agriculture.

HURIWA said it supports the call for a judicial commission headed by a reputable serving Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to investigate the widespread misconducts of Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigerian Police Force and the multiple cases of extralegal executions of suspects by the SARS.

HURIWA specifically condemned the gruesome killings that took place in the Christian dominated communities in Southern Kaduna State allegedly perpetrated by armed killer herdsmen during the Christmas celebrations resulting in dozens of casualties as well as the January 1st premeditated murder of the traditional ruler, the Etum Numana, Mr. Gambo Makama, and his wife who were shot dead, with his palace and car set ablaze.

The rights group condemned the lack of intelligence driven operation by the armed security forces including the Nigerian Army that recently set up a station in Southern Kaduna State and specifically in Kafanchan.

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