A frontline Civil Rights Advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS
WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has challenged the over 250 Ethnic
groups in the Country to deploy lawful methods to defend their rights to life
by collectively confronting the terrorism unleashed on the Nigerian space by
armed Fulani herdsmen and the group which provides moral boost to these
terrorists known as MIYETTI ALLAH CATTLE OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
HURIWA has also resolved to once more petition World
leaders and the International Criminal court in The Hague Netherlands to
demand that the various petitions filed against the mass killings in Nigeria by
armed Fulani herdsmen and backed by Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association be
investigated and the perpetrators of all the bloody violence which have so far
killed over six thousand innocent Nigerians be arrested and prosecuted by the
International Criminal court for crimes against humanity.
HURIWA However expressed disappointment that the
Nigerian born President of International Criminal court in The Hague
Netherlands Chile Eboe-Osuji cannot be trusted to give any kind of justice to
the victims of the series of attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen because he
constantly visits the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari who does not think
that there is the need to prosecute the mass murderers who operate under the
aegis of the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association and who have political,
tribal and religious affiliations with President Muhammadu Buhari who doubles
as the National grand patron of the controversial group.
"We will simply do the reminder letter to the
International Criminal court in The Hague Netherlands to call their attention
to all the pending petitions against armed Fulani herdsmen of Nigeria who
have killed thousands of farmers and other Nigerians and have in some cases
occupied their ancestral lands to carry out the business of rearing their cows."
HURIWA said it is responding to the recent threats made
by the MIYETTI ALLAH CATTLE OWNERS ASSOCIATION against states that
have refused to set up either the RUGA Fulani settlements or cow colonies
in their states just as the Rights group observed that the continuous refusal
of President Muhammadu Buhari to declare the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners
Association as a terrorists group which has emboldened them to commit further
atrocities will inevitably lead Nigeria to a state of anarchy and chaos sooner
than the government expects because the continuous reign of impunity cannot go
on for far too long before those who have been pushed to the walls react
violently.
HURIWA recalled that Fulani herdsmen, under the
auspices of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore socio-cultural organization,
reportedly issued a strong warning to State governors just as the National
President of the organisation, Abdullahi Bodejo, was quoted in the media as
saying that governors who want to enjoy peace in their states must create a
particular area for the Fulani and equip them with modern amenities.
HURIWA quoted the Miyetti leader as threatening
Nigerians thus: “Yes. We are just saying the same thing, whether Ruga or cattle
colony, but the only thing is that Fulani issue in Nigeria is being used to
play politics. “If you are losing election and you want to gain back lost
ground, play the Fulani politics. If you want to win election in 2023, you can
start using anti-grazing law. “We have grazing routes and grazing reserves and
if Nigeria wants to solve the herdsmen and farmers clashes once and for all,
you are a governor and you want to enjoy peace in your state, you don’t need
any long meeting, just create a particular area for the Fulani and equip them
with modern amenities. Instead of doing this, they are playing bad politics with
Fulani."
HURIWA quoted the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners
Association as saying too as follows: “Since when the Ruga started, I’m yet to
see any, except the efforts being made by the Zamfara State governor. No other
governor is doing anything about it; it is still politics. “Look at the support
given to rice farmers through anchor borrowers’ programme; it is running into
several billions of naira, and yet there is nothing for the Fulani business."
HURIWA warned the group to desist from constituting a
national nuisance because it is not the only group of trade unions operating in
Nigerians just as the Rights group reminded the President Muhammadu Buhari-led
administration that his SELECTIVE approach to counter terrorism which avoids
any sort of decisively dealing with MIYETTI ALLAH CATTLE OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF
NIGERIA even amidst their open threats to the peace, security and we'll being
of other Nigerians will inevitably destroy Democracy unless something is done
very urgently to halt the continuous reign of impunity unleashed by armed
Fulani herdsmen.
“HURIWA wonders why the leadership of this CATTLE
Fulanis will continue to threaten national security and going about bragging to
bring down state governments that refused to do their bidding as if Nigeria
belongs to one ETHNIC group of the Fulani just as the Rights group reminds the
Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association that cattle rearing is a private
business, and is illogical to try to force states to create settlements for
Fulani because as the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association President wrongly
posited that about 99 per cent of the cows we are eating in this country
are from Fulani. The Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association said also
arrogantly that States are making revenues from cows. For example, in Lagos,
over 6,000 cows are killed daily and the state government is making so much
money from that and that is the way it is in other states of the country and he
went on to talk down on legally passed laws in a very condescending manner
claiming that these governors are not serious, that is why they are talking
about anti grazing laws; they are not serious in maintaining peace in their
state; they are not serious in carrying everybody along."
HURIWA stated that now is the time to call the bluff of
the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association if government still doesn't wish to
call them to order and this must be done by all other Ethnic groups in Nigeria
by protecting their ancestral lands and ensuring that armed Fulani herdsmen do
not have their ways by displacing other Nigerians of their God given landed
assets. HURIWA through the national coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and
the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf canvassed immediate and
total boycott of cow meat by other Nigerians if that can stop the spread of the
vicious attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen and the continuous arrogant threats by
the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association.
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