Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has strongly warned politicians in the South-East that they will be destroyed and disgraced out of office for doing nothing while alleged Fulani terrorists take over the region, killing and kidnapping citizens.
The group, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, condemned the resurgence of kidnappings and violent attacks on Igbo communities allegedly carried out by armed Fulani terrorists.
The group noted that those attacks were mainly carried out in Enugu and Abia States, charging political leaders, traditional rulers, civil rights and diaspora Igbos to work collectively to take worldwide actions to compel the Buhari government to stop terrorists from destabilising the Igbo dominated region.
HURIWA said the most immediate step is for the Igbos to take legal steps to put to an end to the allegedly coordinated attacks on the Eastern Security Network, ESN, and other voluntary armed vigilantes set up by Igbo youths to stave-off external incursions by armed Fulani terrorists into the South-East.
HURIWA said that current governors and political leaders in the region were no longer dependable and have betrayed the people.
The group slammed security agencies for going after Igbo youths who, due to the failure on the part of Governors, had decided on their own to float the ESN to help combat terrorism in the region.
The group said that kidnappers and other terrorists have been allowed to operate freely in the region, while security forces’ only stock in trade was to crush the ESN, thereby leaving the Igbo States porous.
HURIWA noted that kidnapping and terrorists activities have increased in the South-East ever since the Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria Rt. Reverend Uche Kanu paid N100 million to armed Fulani terrorists in Lokpanta, Abia State.
It recalled that no fewer than four indigenes of Ikem community in Isi-Uzo local Council of Enugu State have been abducted in the past two weeks, with different sums of ransom paid for their release
The rights advocacy group said those attacks were embarrassment to Ndigbo, adding that the governors and the legislators have abandoned the region to pursue their selfish agenda of retaining political power in 2023 election.
HURIWA said it is “serving a 76-hour ultimatum on the South East Governors to stop the incessant killings of their citizens or else the civil society communities will mobilise Igbo people to begin indefinite civil disobedience which may snowball into a mini-revolution, which may sweep-off the current political office holders who are keeping quiet as armed Fulani terrorists are unleashing torrents of violence and bloodletting.
“It is just a matter of time and these political saboteurs who are doing nothing whilst foreign intruders with their Miyetti Allah sponsors are destroying the South East, they themselves will be destroyed and disgraced out of power. Power without responsibility is useless”.