A pro-democracy and Non-governmental body, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately halt the incessant physical intimidation and harassment of residents of South East of Nigeria by the armed security forces.
The group, in a statement on Wednesday, specifically condemned the undue and excessive militarization of the South East and asked the military high command to respect the constitutional rights of the citizens enshrined in chapter four of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 (as amended).
HURIWA, in the statement jointly signed by the National Co-ordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss. Zainab Yusuf, also demanded a transparent investigation of the reported use of lethal weapons by the Army in Umuahia, Abia State capital targeting suspected loyalists of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
It lamented the mutual suspicions and disharmony between civilians of the South East and the Nigerian military and the progressive deterioration of trust and confidence of the South East public towards the military.
It also regretted that the soldiers armed are never deployed to check the frequent attacks of farmers by armed Fulani herdsmen but are deployed for political assignments to harass ordinary citizens.
“May we urge the military hierarchies to strive to be professional in the command and control of armed operatives of the armed security forces,” it said.
“The undue militarization of the civic space to cajole, harass, intimidate and overwhelm unarmed and peaceful members of the public in the South East is seen as an attempt by the current administration to orchestrate anarchy and civil unrest so as to find the flimsiest of excuses to create chaos and engineer mass killings of innocent citizens in the guise of going after members in indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB).
“We hereby appeal to President Buhari to deescalate this ongoing militarization of the peaceful South East/South-South region, and properly redirect the military efforts towards combating the resurgence of terrorism in the restive North East of Nigeria by armed islamists of boko haram.
“We are worried that even when Amnesty international and other indigenous Non-governmental organizations have raised concerns about the high numbers of persons who disappear whilst they encounter armed security forces, the Nigerian Government has continued to militarize the South East and South-South which are largely peaceful.
“Why the military action against a totally unarmed and peaceful self-determination group such as IPOB? Why are there too many police and army check points in the South East that engage in constant extortions and harassment of road users?”
HURIWA alleged that whilst President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered military clampdown on IPOB members who are peaceful, he has not gone after members of the Arewa youth coalition who issueEd anotice on Igbos in the North and called for a clear balkanization of the Nigerian society including the circulation of a hate song advocating genocide against Igbos in the North.
