Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the incoming federal government to as a matter of priority disarm the well armed herdsmen who are waging war against farming communities.
HURIWA has also told the President-elect Bola Tinubu that the quantum of military grade weapons in the possession of Fulani herdsmen in the different forests spread across the country, can be used to threaten the stability of his administration and to blackmail his administration intermittently.
The rights group said the best approach for the next government to free itself from the gangsterism and terrorism of armed Fulani herdsmen, is to forensically disarm them and prosecute their known sponsors in the current Central government.
“For lasting peace to reign, for national stability and national security, the incoming president must take transparent, open, comprehensive and speedy steps to crush the ongoing Fulani insurgency and armed rebellion all across Nigeria including the arrest, prosecution and punishment of highly placed government and military officials behind the arming, re-arming and procurement of military grade weapons being deployed by Fulani herdsmen to take over communities."
HURIWA also lamented that indigenous Christian communities of Southern Kaduna and Tiv speaking communities of Benue State, have lost their native farms to armed Fulani invaders.
In a media statement endorsed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, on Monday, HURIWA alleged that the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari tolerated the growing army of Fulani herdsmen who it said constituted the second largest threat to Nigeria’s national security since 2015.
The group also said armed Fulani men made kidnappings for cash payments to become huge franchises in Nigeria which the incoming administration must dislodge without delay.
Besides, HURIWA listed the government of Kaduna State as one of the few state governments including Bauchi state governors as persons who have defended the right of Fulani herdsmen to bear arms.
The statement obtained by Galaxy online publication on Monday said at least 38 residents of Takalafia and Gwanja communities in the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State were killed by herdsmen who stormed the area last weekend.
HURIWA recalled that the Pastor-in-charge of the Evangelical Church Winning All in the area, Rev. Daniel Danbeki, and 37 others were gruesomely murdered by the assailants during the attack which lasted from 9 pm on Thursday night till the early hours of Friday.
“However, a mass burial was held on Saturday for the victims of the attack which included women and children.
The deputy governor of the state, Emmanuel Akabe, who led a government delegation to the mass condemned the wanton killings and destruction of property worth millions of naira, he assured that perpetrators of the dastard act would be brought to book.
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INCOMING GOVT. MUST DISARM HERDSMEN TO ALLOW PEACE IN NASSARAWA STATE...HURIWA. BY GOLD AZOKHOME.
