A civil rights organisation, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has blamed sectionalism, partisanship and crass incompetence on the part of most members of national security team of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for the blood cuddling attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen on farming communities.

National Coordinator of the Association, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, in a joint statement also called for the arrest and prosecution of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria who threatened to wage war against the country, should President Buhari fail to win a re-election in the 2019 polls.

HURIWA said the threat amounts to treason, which shouldn’t be treated or handled with kid gloves by government except there is a sinister plot to distabilise Nigeria next year.

It recalled that the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Socio-cultural Association, Bello Abdullahi Bodejo had stated that anyone who takes the mandate of Buhari to rule the country from 2019, would be in for a bitter fight.

The rights group said the armed Fulani herdsmen have become emboldened to upgrade the sophistication and scope of their terror campaigns “because they now know that the members of the national security management team set up by President Buhari are unwilling to behave like statesmen and patriots by not going after them (the attackers).”

It said they are rather manufacturing disreputable and unsustainable reasons for the incessant violent killings of thousands of innocent Nigerians and the dispossession of their landed assets.

The group also carpeted the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris for blaming the passage of the anti-open grazing laws in Benue and Taraba states for the spikes in violent terror attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen which have resulted in the death of several thousands of people.

HURIWA demanded the dismissal of the Police Chief for crass incompetence and compromise, citing his “highly insensitive and irresponsible conclusions at a recent executive session of the Senate.”

HURIWA said: “It seems to us, axiomatic, that the Inspector General of Police has by these senselessly irresponsible assertions, clearly and unambiguously demonstrated to Nigerians that he is not ready and willing to carry out his duties in compliance with constitutional provisions but is only out to do the biddings of a cabal within the Presidency.”

It described the action as a disrespect for the constitutional oaths of office sworn to by the President and heads of the various security forces.

“This statement from an Inspector General of Police whose office has failed to prevent the comprehensive attacks waged against farmers by armed Fulani herdsmen shows that it is time to sack him since he is completely overwhelmed by the armed killer Fulani herdsmen and has been railroaded to come up with an untenable and senseless statements to justify the January 1st pogroms in Benue State and the massacres of thousands of innocent Nigerians in the North Central states.”

HURIWA also called for an investigation by the National Assembly, of the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service, Alhaji Muhammed Babandede, for allegedly attending a North West caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna convoked by the Jigawa State Governor, during which the Governor secured an endorsement for a second term in the 2019 polls.

It expressed the view that Babandede is purportedly gunning for a Senate position in the next year’s general election. HURIWA also expressed outrage that the head of Nigeria’s Immigration Service attended a political party meeting.

“As a uniformed para-military officer heading a strategic national security post he is not legally allowed to attend such a partisan and political meeting. Any wonder then that the Nigerian Immigration Service under this current dispensation has failed to stop the inflow of illegal immigrants masquerading as herdsmen who are fully armed and are alleged to be amongst those hired mercenaries carrying out well coordinated violent attacks on farming communities dominated by Northern Christian minorities.

“Can this politician in uniform stop foreign voters from infiltrating the nation since they may become mercenaries for the All Progressives Congress, which controls the states that share borders with Niger, Chad and Northern Cameroon?

“This revelation carried in the media alleging the attendance of the Comptroller General of Immigration service in Nigeria together with the self centred and selfish reasons advanced by both the minister of Defence Mansur Dan-Ali a retired Major General who is Hausa/Fulani and a Moslem by affiliations, the Inspector General of Police a Nupe Niger State Northern Nigerian born officer are manifestations of the presence of persons with selfish and sectional agenda manning all the strategic national security positions.

“This compromised national security team members can never be patriotic enough to exercise their constitutional roles with altruism and love of nation. These persons are too sectional and partisan to be competently able and willing to behave like statesmen. This government must make hay whilst the sun shines to avoid leading Nigeria to a long drawn out civil wars. These compromised politicians heading national security positions must be fired for peace and security to be assured.”

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