Herdsmen have declared war on Nigeria: - HURIWA to Federal government

The prominent civil Rights advocacy group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly under the chairmanship of senate president Ahmed Lawan to activate practical steps to stop the nation-wide war on Nigerians by armed Fulani herdsmen. HURIWA said the President; His Vice Professor Yemi Osinbanjo; the Senate President Ahmed Lawan and the Chief justice of Nigeria Muhammad Tanko would be jointly dragged to the International Criminal court in The Hague Netherlands to face prosecution for crimes against humanity should the current wave of killings by armed Fulani herdsmen are not stopped and the killers/sponsors prosecuted and punished.  

The Rights group said it is legally incumbent on the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari to adhere strictly to his constitutional oath of office and enforce immediate and comprehensive military strategies to stop the widening specter of bloody violence against different communities all over Nigeria by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen. HURIWA lamented too that the Government has in five years failed to prosecute all the mass murderers terrorizing Nigeria. 

HURIWA said the failure of president Buhari to effectively put an end to these cocktails of well-coordinated violent uprising by suspected Fulani herdsmen who are on rampage in diverse Nigerian communities in the North West; North Central; South South state of Delta, Akwa Ibom and the recent killings in Benue state by armed Fulani herdsmen amounts to a constitutional breach on the side of the president just as the failure of the National Assembly to pass a binding resolution acknowledging the ongoing civil war by armed herders against Nigeria is a serious dereliction of legislative duties which should lead to the impeachments of both the senate president Ahmed Lawan and the speaker Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila. 

HURIWA stated that the National Assembly’s fundamental role is to compel the executive to do the needful to stop the bloodshed or to invoke the constitutional provisions which permits them to remove a non-performing president. "This bloodshed can't continue forever. The killings are way too much and life has become too cheap under this government.  This is genocide and must be seen as such. We will drag all the leaders of the different arms of government to the ICC if no step is taken by 76 hours to stop the killings and try these killers". 

“The primary responsibility of government is the prevention of mass killings and the enthronement of security of lives and property of the citizenry. This government has failed.”

HURIWA recalled that the: “Anybody who is in doubt that the armed herders have declared war on the rest of Nigeria should take a look at just the cases of attacks by them in the following dates and places: On February 14^th 2020, there was tension in Uwherhun Community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State as suspected Fulani herdsmen allegedly invaded and killed eight persons in the Urhobo Kingdom. Indigenes and residents have abandoned their homes for fear of not being killed as the Fulani herdsmen took over their lands. The tragic events began on Thursday, February 13, and resulted in the killing of two persons. The rampaging Fulani herdsmen ambushed and killed four other persons Friday night during the lover’s day celebration. The Fulani herdsmen shot sporadically in the town on Saturday morning before they killed two other people.”

“On March 8^th 2020, Suspected Fulani herdsmen in the early hours of Thursday attacked the Mbanyiar community in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State and raped three women including the district head’s wife. According to a native of the community, who simply identified himself as Terka, the suspected herdsmen headed straight to the residence of the community head and attacked the household. The herdsmen allegedly raped the traditional ruler’s wife and two of his in-laws and destroyed crops stored in the barn. Confirming the attack on his community, the traditional ruler, Tyoor Chado, said the herdsmen numbering 11 attacked his residence around 2am.”

“On January 7^th 2020, three persons were reported killed while property worth millions of Naira was also destroyed on Sunday at Pangari village of Bali local government area in Taraba. This followed a clash between Tiv farmers and Fulani herders. Trouble started when a herder reportedly invaded a beans farm belonging to a Tiv farmer.”

“On February 22^nd 2020, Obi Primary School located in Uzebba Ihuleha community in the Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State like many schools resumed for academic activities after the first-term holiday which ushered in Christmas and New Year holidays. On January 13, 2020, Fulani gunmen invaded the school when the teachers just ended the first meeting for the year. Dada said five of them were in the staff room while three were around his office that day. He said, “There was no pupil in the school that day being the first day of resumption. Usually, it used to take one to two weeks before pupils start coming because of the distance of the school to the communities. One of the three teachers sitting outside my office was Mrs. Esther Alabi. She was kidnapped by the gunmen.”