Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has called for the arrest of former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo.
HURIWA believes that Asari has done enough to deserve prosecution by the authorities or, at the very least, an open investigation to determine the legality of his actions.
The rights group noted that during Asari’s visit to President Bola Tinubu after he won the 2023 presidential election, he gave a sensational interview admitting to running a private army.
IgbereTV reports that during the interview, Dokubo claimed that he undertook assignments for the Federal Government to combat terrorists in the North and carried out operations in the South-East.
Hence, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA questioned how a private individual could be allowed to operate a private army, which is unconstitutional in Nigeria.
The rights association urged the government to investigate the allegations “that some of the killings in the South-East during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari were carried out by Dokubo’s so-called private army”.
HURIWA said it was “particularly concerned about the video footage showing Dokubo brandishing sophisticated military-grade weapons, which no private individual in Nigeria is legally permitted to possess”.
“Despite these serious allegations, there has been no action taken by the Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), or any other security outfit,” it added.
HURIWA said it was alarmed that the Army and the Police “continue to parade individuals purportedly arrested as IPOB members, yet there has been no transparent disclosure regarding how many of these individuals have been successfully prosecuted”.
