As more reactions and condemnation continues to trail the atrocious massacre of over 43 farmers by the dreaded terrorist group, Boko Haram, in Borno yesterday, a frontline civil rights advocacy group Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has lent its voice to the unfortunate situation, blaming the Nigerian government for not showing enough commitment in terms of funding to the Nigerian Army to effectively tackle the nation’s security challenges.
HURIWA point out the multifaceted policing responsibilities the Nigerian Army is burdened with, which it believes are hindering the Military force from carrying out its primary duties of protecting citizens against the enemies of the state.
“HURIWA is shocked at the blood cuddling bloodletting that took place in the past 24 hours in the North East of Nigeria and especially the daylight genocide of rural fish farmers by persons suspected to be a fighter of the Boko haram terrorists. It is a sad day to wake up with the heartrending story of the gruesome decapitation of some Nigerians only because they went in search of foods for their families. The story that some 40 people reported ‘slaughtered’ in an attack on labourers working in rice fields in Borno state in the country’s northeast, is a monumental disaster which calls for a declaration of national mourning for a day by President Muhammadu Buhari”. The group said.
HURIWA expressed deep shock at the method in which the terrorists carried out the gruesome murders. It stated, “To read that the assailants on Saturday tied up the agricultural workers and slit their throats in the village of Koshobe, near Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, is the most saddening piece of news since this year”.
HURIWA blames the situation on the lack of proper leadership from the presidency. It wrote, “We in the organized civil society community in Nigeria completely locates the blame on the doorsteps of President Muhammadu Buhari who is actually not providing the needed political leadership to win the war on terror which has lasted far longer than necessary”.
HURIWA conveyed its dissatisfaction at the Nigerian government for not funding the military as required in the fight to end insurgency in the country. The group also beliefs the unwillingness by the government to officially declare the Boko Haram campaigners as a terror network, raises a lot of moral questions. It cited the refusal of the Central Bank of Nigeria to trace the terror group’s financiers as a worrying factor.
HURIWA again fumes at the fact that rather than engage all legal fronts towards prosecuting detained members of the evil Boko Haram group, the government has been sponsoring a “deceptive” “de-radicalization” and “re-integration” programme which releases them back into the society.
The Rights group stated that Nigerians should not condemn the military for not doing enough because they are handicapped while calling on the international community to come to the rescue of Nigeria by providing logistical and technical support for the military.
