Group raises alarm as herdsmen kidnap, kill people in Benue, others

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has raised the alarm over the unending kidnapping and killing of people in Benue and other parts of the country.

The group, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and the heads of other security forces, to put a permanent to the menaces.

A statement by HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf said it was disturbing and disheartening to note that at a time when the masses are passing through difficulties due to the COVID-19 lockdown, “armed terrorists continue to attack them in their houses with little or no resistance from the security forces statutorily empowered and funded to protect the citizens.

“The ease with which terrorists, armed marauders, armed Fulani herdsmen operate in Southern Kaduna and parts of Delta State and the devastation they unleashed in those communities without ever being caught by the security forces goes to show that there are fifth columnists embedded within the Nigerian Security forces or government that provide logistics; funding support and protection to these armed marauders who have left dozens of innocent citizens maimed, killed and several communities burnt just like some communities that have just been sent on fire in Benue State by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen and unfortunately the Chief security officer of Benue and the governor lacks the capacity to stop the killings but has asked the citizens to begin a week-long fasting”.

HURIWA said it was unexplainable how the terrorists had access to communities with ease carrying assault rifles while law abiding citizens were forced to stay at home.

The rights group affirmed that it was aware of thoroughly documented information from dependable sources regarding how some communities have been attacked, lives lost and properties destroyed in the past one week in Kaduna State.

It said “these incessant killings of Christians have demonstrated an unambiguous evidence of coordinated genocides.”

The rights group said the International community must step up measures to compel the Nigerian state to halt these cocktails of suspected state-sponsored terrorism.