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End your ‘conspiratorial silence’, designate Fulani herdsmen ‘terrorists’, rights group to Buhari

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Civil society group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to pursue the legal process of designating “armed herdsmen” as terrorists forthwith, arguing that his administration had so far been guilty of downplaying the destructiveness of the group.

The group expressed optimism that such a move would help check attacks on farming communities by armed herdsmen.

In a statement it issued in Abuja on Sunday, jointly signed by the National Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, read, HURIWA said, “The first reasonable step was for the President to direct his Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, to file an application before the Federal High Court Abuja division to procure the legal banning of armed herdsmen and their activities and to declare them as terrorists so as to put an end to the persistent massacre of unarmed farmers and other innocent members of the public living peacefully in their respective communities across the country”.

It then went on to urge the president to be preoccupied with the issues that can lead to the advancement of the people, while also leading the effort towards seeking mutual harmony amongst the divergent ethno-religious groups in Nigeria.

Read also: 3 weeks after, Army invades Kanu’s home again, carts away items

HURIWA accused the administration of “conspiratorial silence” in the face of a very severe security challenge threatening national cohesion and security.

It stated that several global bodies had already categorised armed Fulani herdsmen as one of the most deadly terrorist organisations in the world next to Boko Haram in terms of its destructive capacity.

The group wondered why Buhari was yet to see the armed herdsmen as deadly as terrorists.

HURIWA recalled that in the last two years, armed Fulani herdsmen killed over 8000 innocent civilians and dispossessed farming communities in places like Southern Kaduna and Benue state.

The statement read in part, “These armed Fulani herdsmen operate like a well-funded and well-coordinated platforms because whenever any attack attributable to them occurs, they quickly demobilise and disappear into thin air even as it seems that there are some levels of collaborative partnership between them and commanders of security forces across the country.

“After thorough consideration of the high levels of destruction of lives and property of Nigerians from all parts of the country, perpetrated by armed Fulani herdsmen, we believe that the best solution to these incessant invasions and attacks is for President Muhammadu Buhari to step up his approach and worldview of the seriousness of these trends and take concrete legal, security and logistical steps to militarily put an end to the persistent genocide by armed Fulani herdsmen by first and foremost declaring armed Fulani herdsmen as terrorists”.

 

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