Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has accused operatives of Armed Forces of Nigeria under the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari of carrying out fake ‘killings’ of Marauding Fulani herdsmen and armed Fulani bandits in NORTH WEST AND BENUE STATE but same armed troops are allegedly going from house to house in our Igbo towns and cities in the South East of Nigeria carrying out extrajudicial killings of many innocent Igbo Youths whilst the actual unknown gunmen still operate with impunity attacking strategic government facilities in the South East.
Besides, the Rights group has called for the investigation of the Imo State Police Commissioner to determine if the persons being paraded dead are actually the killers of the former Presidential aide to President Jonathan Mr. Ahmed Gulak who was gruesomely assassinated on Saturday in Owerri by Men described as hoodlums.
HURIWA said there is the imperative need for thorough, transparent, evidence- led and open investigation to be launched on the assassination of Ahmed Gulak to determine the culpability or otherwise of those shown in the media by the police as the killers.
“This is because upon the unfortunate incident of the killing of Gulak there is no empirical evidence demonstrating that Nigerian Police Force deployed science- based, evidence-associated forensic probe of the crime scene but relied on what they said was the testimony of one of the survivors who was reportedly the Cab driver who was driving the politician to the Sam Mbakwe International Airport before he met his unfortunate death.”
“We think the police in Imo State which is clearly being seen going from hostel to hostel in Owerri, arresting innocent students can not be relied upon to give the World the exact story of what transpired before, during and after the targeted killing of the APC Politician from Adamawa who reportedly visited Imo State.The Imo State Police command can’t be trusted”.
“First, the Police in Imo State blamed the dead man for his unfortunate fate because in their irrational word, Ahmed Gulak left his hostel room to the Airport without informing the Police and so he had no Police escorts. Now, the fact is that the acting Inspector General of Police had announced withdrawal of all Police escorts attached to VIPS in South East and South South as previously reported in the media. So how is the Commissioner of Police in Imo State blaming the victim of an unfortunate assasination for the cruel fate that befell him when it was the IGP who announced withdrawal of Police escorts? So, how can any sane person accept hook, line and sinker, any conclusion reached by the Imo State Police Command that had blamed the dead man if the same lazy police comes up as they have with the latest tale by moon light that the killers of Gulak have been killed based on hear say evidence?”
“Once more, can we advocate the adoption of 21st century technology in fighting crimes to such an extent that the police be mandated to comply with global best practices in the steps they take to investigate crimes including the deployment of forensic investigative skills?”.
“The Police and Soldiers are roaming about on the streets of Owerri and somewhere in Enugu and even interrupted a Church Service just to arrest the entire congregation for being members of indigenous peoples of Biafra. But armed Fulani herdsmen are having field days in Niger State, Benue State and North West Region of Nigeria killing, maiming, kidnapping and destroying citizens and their property but these same Soldiers and Police who are actually killing suspected members of IPOB including innocent Igbo Youths, have always carried out “ audio” and fake raids of Zamfara forests and Kaduna forests even as kidnapped Greenfield University students were compelled by the armed Fulani kidnappers to pay N 150 million before they were released after a month but even when Sheikh Gumi visited these terrorists, the Army still allowed them to continue terrorizing Nigerians but the same Army and Police are now carrying out ethnic genocide in the South East of Nigeria and the world keeps quite”.
“We are calling on the World leaders to speak out before a mass revolt breaks out because these continued genocide may not be tolerated for too long because when you pushed some people to the wall, not all of them will break through the wall and run away. Some would be radicalised to be daring and to immediately stage a revenge. I think the Central government wants to destroy the South East of Nigeria by deploying unruly soldiers and police to kill innocent youngsters only because of their ethnicity and religion”.
“The Nigerian Army spokesman was quick to announce the killing of Ikonso of Eastern Security Network and his Public Relations Jobber from Kano State syndicated the photo of the man but the same Army allowed students including 200 Islamiyah students to be kidnapped by armed Fulani militia in Niger State and no action has been taken”.
HURIWA recalled that the mo State Police Command Sunday night claimed four persons who participated in the murder of Ahmed Gulak have been killed dead in a shoot out at Aboh-Mbaise.
Gulak was killed on his way to the airport in Owerri, where he was going to catch a flight to Abuja.
Imo State Police Command spokesman Bala EIkana said the driver of the late Gulak identified the dead bodies as those of the men who assassinated the late politician.
“Eyewitnesses account, especially the account given by the driver of the vehicle that was conveying Ahmed Gulak to the Airport before the attack, gave a vivid description of the assailants and the vehicles they used in carrying out the attack,” Elkana said.
“The assailants were said to have used a Toyota Camry 2005 model with silver colour; Toyota Sienna 1998 model with golden colour; Toyota Hilux with white colour; and a Lexus RX 330 with golden colour.”
HURIWA dismissed Police claims as tales by moonlight because it is lacking in standardised ingredients of investigative methodology of 21st century policing institutions globally which relies on 100 percent forensic evidence and not fabricated testimony of someone apparently under police threat or torture. This Police claim should be re-examined to ensure that innocent persons were not roped and and slaughtered just so the Commissioner can appear to be gallant. We must stop distracting Nigeria please”.
COMRADE EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO:
NATIONAL COORDINATOR:
HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).
