Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group; Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria-HURIWA has called on the Kaduna state government to stop alleged deliverate misinformation of the public on the state of happenings in the state.
In a statement signed by it’s National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel ONWUBIKO, the Rights organization said it is a sign of total irresponsibility for any Government to claim to have rescued abductees when families of such abductees actually paid heavily for the released of their loved ones. Alternatively, HURIWA has asked the Kaduna State government to refund to families of victims of kidnapping all the ransom payments they made to the kidnappers before they were released.
HURIWA while reacting to recent revelation by one Murtala Yusuf a brother to one of the abductees from the Kaduna airport who told Rahma TV and Radio 97.3fm Kaduna that his family actually paid N4 million ransom for the release of his sister Badiatu Gambo and her daughter Bilkisu.
According to Yusuf when his sister and her daughter were released and were on their way out of captivity, the Military came and picked them and others to the Government house where the state government claimed that the abductees were rescued by the security forces.
HURIWA believes that the Kaduna state government may be deliberately misinforming the public on the state of affairs in the state to gain public applause whereas the opposite may actually be the case if the allegations by the families of the victims of kidnapping on the payments they made to the dare devil kidnappers is anything to go by just as the Rights group said the deliberate misinformation of the public on the claims and counter claims about the release of victims of kidnapping and terrorism in the state will negatively affect the fight against terrorism and banditry in the state.
HURIWA is of the view that taking glory for victims’ freedom when ransoms were actually paid by their families shows how insensitive the Nasiru Elrufai led administration can be alleged to be to the dehumanizing plight of citizens eveb as the government has failed to protect the citizens that have continued to be subjected to massacre, abduction and destruction of their ancestral communities since 2015.
HURIWA also called on the Kaduna state government and the federal government to do everything possible to ensure the safe release of the 39 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization who were abducted by terrorists two weeks ago and the 3 teachers of Rema Primary School abducted in Birnin Gwari last week.
ATTACK ON BENUE GOVERNOR: HURIWA EXPRESSES DISGUST OVER BUHARI’S COMMUNICATION BY PROXY:
The prominent Civil Rights Advocacy platform:- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has condemned the pampering of Miyetti Allah cattle owners Association by President Muhammadu Buhari even in the face of the obvious fact that the activities of the Miyetti Allah constitutes clear and present danger to National Security interests of Nigeria.
The Rights group which absolutely condemned the last weekend’s assassination attempt on the life of the governor of Benue State Mr. Samuel Ortom, also condemned the communication by proxy methodology of President Muhammadu Buhari in the face of the constant bombardments of soft targets by terrorists and armed Fulani militia all across Nigeria.
The HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has therefore asked President Muhammadu Buhari to speak to Nigerians directly in person and unfold the practicable panacea and measures being put in place by his government to deal with the increased threats of grave dangers to the lives and property of the citizens.
HURIWA which spoke through the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko expressed disappointment that President Buhari has continued to tolerate the violent and terrorism tendencies of his kinsmen which is why the officials of the organized union of cow sellers have continued to issue threats to governor Ortom and other governments across the Country that have exercised their legitimate, constitutional and legal powers to impose. Bans on open grazing. The Rights group said the MIYETTI ALLAH has truly become the agent provocateur that is out to cause civil war in Nigeria and the group has for the umpteenth time asked the government to declare the group especially the faction that openly issues threats against different governors and endorsing killings of farmers as a terrorist organisation.
“The violent attacks on the governor of Benue State at the weekend by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen is another dimension in the open threats made by officials of Miyetti Allah association. This faction of the cow sellers have indeed constituted themselves unto a law and their officials who openly endorse attacks and killings of farmers have never been arrested or prosecuted for their role in these incessant killings and Fulani insurgency. Rather, these traitors are afforded the highest kind of security cover by the Federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari even as this group continues to cause maximum social disquiet and actively undermining national security objective of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
“A year ago Benue Governor Mr. Samuel Ortom had warned Miyetti Allah over inciting statements. The national president of the group, Abdullahi Bodejo, was said to have told governors to establish cattle colonies in their states or face crisis – Ortom, however, said that anybody who foments trouble in his state would be dealt with according to the law. Barely one week after the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, representative of herders across Nigeria, apologised to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, over the clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the state, another crisis has ensued. The reports had it that despite the initial apology by the herders, the group threatened that governors must establish cattle colonies or know no peace in their states. It was gathered that while reacting to the threat, Ortom, through his chief press secretary, said that the group was not above the law. He added that he would take necessary sanction against anybody who violates the law of the land.”
HURIWA recalled that governor Ortom had stated that: “We have read with shock a statement in some newspapers credited to the national president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bodejo, in which he threatened that governors who refuse to establish cattle colonies also known as Ruga settlements will not know peace.
The Rights group said the MIYETTI ALLAH official said reportedly thus: “You are a governor and you want to enjoy peace in your state, you don’t need any long meeting, just create a particular area for the Fulani and equip them with modern amenities.”
HURIWA recalled that a year ago also, the governor said that Bodejo’s utterances were inciting and direct invitation for anarchy, noting that no group should be above the law to be dictating to states on how to accord preference to it at the expense of other Nigerians.
HURIWA cited the reported statement by Governor Orton a year ago thus: “We call for the arrest and prosecution of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore national president for persistently making statements capable of causing crises in the country.
HURIWA recalled that the said Bodejo in the same media report a year aho, had singled out Governor Ortom for vilification, saying the governor has been playing politics with the open grazing prohibition and ranches establishment law to win sympathy and gain advantage,”
The Rights group said the Governor Ortom had said the statement by Bodejo was not only a threat to peace but also a prelude to another round of attacks on Benue communities by herdsmen militia. The governor was then quoted as saying thus: “As a state, Benue will not take the current threat by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore lightly. The law of the land is sacrosanct and must be obeyed by everyone. Any individual or group who wants to breed animals in the state should be prepared to ranch them.”
HURIWA therefore wonders why the shedding of Crocodile tears by President Buhari by proxy when this same government openly failed to declare the Miyetti Allah’s threats to National Security as act of terrorism and declare the group as a terrorist group. The Rights group said the MIYETTI ALLAH OFFICIALS have constantly and consistently threatened national security since the last five years but the Nigerian Government headed by the Fulani born Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has pampered his kinsman and failed to invoke the constitutional provisions against these grave threats to the peace and national harmony of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as constituted by the MIYETTI ALLAH OFFICIALS who still enjoy cosy relationship with the central government in Abuja.
“We seize this opportunity to thank God that the satanic plots to cause Civil war by armed Fulani herdsmen by staging an assassination attack on governor Ortom did not succeed but we are hereby calling on President Buhari to come out of the shadows and speak to Nigerians and to take concrete steps to arrest and prosecute the officials of Miyetti Allah especially those who are in the media quoted as allegedly threatening to deal with governor Ortom. The government of President Buhari must save Nigeria from Civil war.
HURIWA recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack on Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue, saying the brutal attacks on individuals and communities in the state, with the latest one targeting the governor, was unacceptable.
The president made the condemnation in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Sunday.
But the Rights group dismissed this deceptive approach as the shedding of crocodile tears and has tasked President Buhari to act fast before it is late.
