Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Human Rights, Liberty Access, and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE) has cautioned President Muhammdu Buhari over plot to absorb ‘repented’ Boko Haram members into the Nigerian military, saying it could be interpreted to mean a tacit support for the insurgent group against innocent Nigerians.
The group charged President Buhari to rise above ethnic and religious considerations in confronting massive killings across Nigeria by Boko Haram militants, Fulani herdsmen and bandits.
The chairman of HURIDE Dede Uzor in a statement after a meeting in Enugu accused the current administration of treating bloodletting in the country with kid gloves, giving impression that what critics of the government are saying that some elements in the Federal Government were behind these killer groups for political reasons was true.
He said that many Nigerians have been murdered like chicken in their farms, homes, on the roads, without serious response from security operatives.
“Fulani herdsmen are still allowed to carry AK-47 everywhere without molestation.The continuous killings of Nigerians in their communities, homes, farms, on the roads should be checkmated if Buhari is serious in fighting these rampant killings of Nigerians. He should rise up above ethnic and religious interests”, said Uzor.
Uzor said the group doesn’t want to believe that the renewed killings especially against Christians was because of 2023 general election as some have suggested, wondering why the blood of Nigerians should be spilled for some people’s political interest.
“To show seriousness in fighting the killings, the President should immediately proscribe Fulani herdsmen or ban them from carrying sophisticated arms and ammunitions.
“If they can swiftly ban harmless Indigenous People’s of Biafra (IPOB), why is it difficult for them to ban the groups that bear arms, that has been declared one of the most dangerous terrorist group in the world. The President seems not to be sincere in fighting insecurity.”
He however said that another way Mr. President should show seriousness in the fight against insecurity was to sack all service chiefs and replace them with fresh ones.
He querried the unabated killings in Kaduna and in Christian dominated areas for that matter, continued killing in Jos and the alleged killing of 14 defenceless citizens in Ebonyi State few days ago.