The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has described as highly irresponsible, the statement credited to Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, that Nigeria’s insecurity situation is no longer severe.
The civil rights advocacy group’s reaction was contained in a statement on Wednesday endorsed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emma Onwubiko.
Mohammed had at a joint press briefing on security declared that the worst was over as the military and other security agencies have succeeded substantially in containing insecurity.
The Minister said: “As far as the daunting security challenges we face are concerned, we can tell you that the worst is over. Never again will terrorists and bandits and their cohorts hold sway in our country.
“President (Muhammadu) Buhari’s directive to the military to crush those terrorising our citizens is working, hence, peace and security are gradually being restored to the country.” He stated that government remained committed to ensuring that no one is in the captivity of bandits.”
HURIWA fumed that, in contradiction of facts and realities, the Minister reassured Nigerians that the worst of insecurity in the country was over.
According to HURIWA, Nigerians would take the Minister’s statement seriously only when he embarks on a journey round some cities in Nigeria by road and return unscathed.
The statement reads in part: “Once more, we in the human rights community representing the voiceless and oppressed citizens of Nigeria are inviting the cabinet level Minister of Information to travel by road with no security cover from Abuja to Zamfara, to Katsina, Borno and then back to Abuja through the Lokoja/Kwali Abuja dreaded Federal Highway after stopping over at the Okene highway near Ajaokuta in Kogi State. If the Minister is able to embark on this journey which should be televised live on NTA, Trust television and AIT, then may be his statement about improved security may be listened to by right thinking human beings that are rational.”
“We find it completely ludicrous but insensitive, reckless and unacceptable that in the face of the heightened security challenges confronting Nigerians, including the 28 bus passengers in Ondo that were just kidnapped into the Ondo forests by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen, the holder of the office of Information Minister will continue to assault our sensibilities and spread fake news.”
HURIWA said except the Minister lives in a very distant planet from the earth for him not to be aware that in some parts of Katsina State, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, that armed terrorists have started carrying out policing jobs and reportedly arresting petty thieves and handing them over to the Police.
“In parts of Kaduna State and Zamfara State, farmers now pay taxes to terrorists even as a terrorist kingpin was recently inaugurated a traditional title holder in Zamfara, depicting a failed state.”
The group recalled that few days ago, elders of rural communities in Katsina State lamented that men in their villages now work as slaves on farms ‘owned’ by bandits, even as the hoodlums have developed a taste for constantly raping married women and teenage girls.
HURIWA quoted a report by BBC Hausa Service seen revealing that the elders described the series of invasions and atrocities committed by the bandits as mind-boggling. The elders under the aegis of the Movement to Secure Katsina Citizens called on all “patriotic citizens” to contribute to the efforts to tackle the security problems in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the others in the interview with BBC Hausa Service, one of the elders, Dr Bashir Kurfi, noted that apart from the senseless killing of innocent people and cattle theft, raping of women and teenage girls by the bandits was now rampant in the communities.
Kurfi said: “It is not hearsay; quite often, we come across victims of rape, women who were raped and even mutilated by these bandits.
“Even more worrisome, these bandits will knock at the doors of villagers and ask the men to bring out their wives and daughters. These hapless men have no option but to obey or they will face the music.
“The wife or daughter will go with the bandits for one or two weeks and returned to their homes after being sexually abused or raped. This is the calamity that has befallen most of our communities.
“I recall one day when we took nine women to the hospital after being gang-raped by 40 bandits. The hospital we took them to advised us to take some of the women to VVF centres for proper care.”
He expressed his dismay at the way the bandits were inflicting pains on the people “as if we don’t have a government.”
He said: “We all know these bandits move around with motorcycles. Where are they getting the bikes? They move around with AK-47 rifles. How did they get them? Where are they getting the drugs they are taking? What is really happening? Why is the government aloof? These are pertinent questions that are waiting for answers.”
The elders also condemned the position of some state governments who are signing peace deals with bandits without results.
Besides, HURIWA narrated that a newly posted Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna State, was kidnapped and for weeks, has been in chains.
HURIWA specifically recalled that the DPO was abducted along the notorious Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway around 9am few weeks back on his way to assume duty at his new place of assignment, according to sources who confirmed the incident to journalists on condition of anonymity.
HURIWA said although it was not clear whether the Police officer was travelling alone in the vehicle when he was abducted or not, as the Kaduna State Police Command was yet to issue an official statement on the development.
HURIWA recalled that the Birnin Gwari local government area of the State has been in the news lately for various attacks and abductions by terrorists, and it was on Sunday that a terrorist group known as Ansaru issued a statement banning political activities in some communities of the local government area.
The rights group stated that as at today, report has it that friends of the abducted DPO have paid over N5million requested ransom, including motorcycle and hard drugs given to the terrorists, but even the bearer of the ransom was kidnapped and the DPO is in chains.
HURIWA has therefore encouraged Nigerians to take steps to provide self defence to themselves in any way possible because the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution in Section 33(1) can’t be remedied once the citizens are slaughtered by marauding terrorists.
The group accused government officials of bandying fake news that security has improved, even as the bandits were on rampage. Besides, HURIWA appealed to the international community to help save Nigerians from imminent deaths from terrorists’ attacks.
