The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked Nigerians to demand from relevant authorities, details of the unending investigation into the alleged killings of three police detectives in Taraba state to free a suspected kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Hamisu Wadume, nearly five months ago.

HURIWA has also condemned the reported invasion by armed bandits and the kidnapping of some Senior Seminarians at the Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Buwaya Gonin Gora, Kaduna which was attacked by armed bandits on January 8, 2020 between 10:30pm and 11:00pm.

HURIWA disclosed that the Rector of the Seminary, Rev Dr Joel Usman, stated that after head count of students with security agents, four 100 level Philosophy seminarians have been declared missing.

HURIWA therefore called on the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to ensure that the kidnapped would-be Catholic priests are freed unharmed and that the spate of targeted kidnappings of Christian clerics and banditry of Christian schools in Kaduna state are decisively brought to an end and the perpetrators arrested, prosecuted and punished for these heinous crimes against humanity.

The rights group affirmed that the reason there is widespread official impunity and lawlessness by supposed agents of law enforcement agencies is the lethargic attitudes of millions of Nigerians who lack the zeal to seek accountability from elected political office holders and officials of state institutions.

HURIWA also tasked the IGP to discharge his legal obligations to Nigerians by complying with the constitutional demands for full disclosures to the citizens on the current status of the series of investigative activities launched by government in the wake of the dastardly criminal act of cruel assassination of three policemen by soldiers on the alleged orders of a serving Army Captain to free the suspected kidnapping baron in Taraba State.

“Nigerians need to know if the serving Army Captain, Tijani Balarabe, allegedly accused of ordering soldiers to intercept the cops who had then arrested the kidnappers and freed the key suspected kidnapping chieftain, Alhaji Wadume, has been cleared just as Nigerians need to be told what steps have been adopted by the Defence Headquarters and the police hierarchy to ensure that all those indicted for the cruel murders of the police detectives are made to face the full weight of the law.

“Nigerians need disclosure in this particular case because when it occurred, the same Nigerians were inundated with avalanche of information by the relevant authorities on this vicious crime of assassination of armed functionaries of the Nigerian State who were in the line of duty,” the rights group said.

HURIWA recalled that until the news broke of how he allegedly ordered the killing of some of the policemen who had gone to arrest Bala Hamisu, a kidnap suspect better known as Wadume, the army Captain was said to have been arrested and “it is unclear whether he is still in detention but certainly there has been no prosecution.

“Balarabe, operation commander of the troops who allegedly shot the policemen, is alleged to have had 191 phone conversations with Wadume, and police authorities are said to also believe he was on the suspect’s payroll.”

HURIWA, citing a report by Daily Trust, disclosed that the captain was said to have joined the army in 1993.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, the rights group said it was imperative that Nigerians are told what has become of that case and if the Army captain whose name and image graced the pages of newspaper has been cleared of the alleged crimes or not.

Besides, HURIWA expressed sadness that the entire scenario seems to have been swept under the carpet of impunity just as the police hierarchy appears to have moved on and forgotten about the case.

The rights group said the consequences of failing to decisively resolve this high profile criminal scandal like many others is that it will create the graphic picture that impunity has become acceptable just as other police operatives would see it that their lives matters not if in the event that they are required to make supreme sacrifices.

HURIWA recalled that three Police officers transporting Wadume from Ibi-Wukari area of Taraba State were killed by some soldiers over five months ago. The killings, which led to an outrage, prompted a directive for a joint investigation from President Muhammadu Buhari.

Also, the suspected kidnapper, Wadume was rearrested by some Police officers led by Abba Kyari in his hideout at Layin Mai Allo Hotoro area of Kano state in the late hours of Monday, August 19.

The rights group has also charged President Buhari to implement effective security strategy to put an end to the killings of Nigerians by armed hoodlums, armed Fulani herdsmen and bandits as has recently happened in Kogi state.

“Nigeria needs to set up a joint security anti-kidnapping, anti-bandits’ task force to be drawn from all the security agencies and to operate under a single chain of command answerable to the National Security Adviser to the president.”

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