Group Canvasses Disarmament Programme In The North

Source: Independent Newspaper Published:Monday, January 25th, 2010

Human Rights Writers’ Association [HURIWA] has called on the Federal Government to initiate immediate comprehensive, transparent and verifiable disarmament programme in parts of Northern Nigeria to halt mass killings and religious-motivated hate crimes.

It listed states like Maiduguri, Borno, Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto and Plateau centres of the orgy of killings similar to what happened recently in Jos.

The group said there was proliferation of small arms and other sophisticated weapons in most parts of Northern Nigeria with which local terrorists cause religious upheavals like the bloody riots in Jos Plateau State.

According to the group, the disarmament programme should be done jointly between the Federal Ministry of Defence and the Office of the United Nations Secretary General.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA also called for immediate probe by an independent and impartial international commission of inquiry under supervision of the United Nations of widespread allegation of activities of some soldiers who went on killing spree in the recent crisis in Plateau State. The rights group also criticised the Nigerian law enforcement agents for not providing sufficient protection for students of the University of Jos, most of who lost their property, household goods and books to rampaging hoodlums, who set them ablaze in the recent riots. It called on the government to compensate those who lost their property in the riots.

Citing two opposing judicial commissions by the Federal and Plateau State governments to probe the November 2008 riots in Jos North, HURIWA said the clear manifestation of total lack of political will on the part of the Federal and Plateau State governments to implement remedial measures to end the longstanding misunderstanding between some settlers and indigenous groups in Plateau State had made people to lose faith in both governments.

“The loss of faith on Nigerian government at both Federal and state levels to resolve the Plateau crisis between Hausa/Fulani and the indigenous tribes has made it imperative for the United Nations to be invited to undertake a dispassionate, unbiased and comprehensive investigation of the recent crisis in Plateau State, and for those indicted to be charged to court and if local prosecutors are unwilling to initiate prosecutions of these mass murderers, then the International Crimes Court [ICC] should be invited to bring justice to these mass killers responsible for the brutal and gruesome killings of hundreds of thousands of citizens in cold blood in Jos, Plateau State,” HURIWA said.

It lamented the widespread proliferation of illegal ownership of small arms and other sophisticated weapons in most parts of Northern Nigeria especially around border areas, and also condemned what it called the unrestrained and illegal importation of alleged foreign fighters during the recent Jos riots.

Comments

Sorry no comments found for this article

Your Comment

Full Name:

Email address:

Location:

Comment:

Todays News