The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to order the arrest of Miyetti Allah over the killings in Plateau State.
The group urged Buhari to direct the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military to arrest key officials of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association (MACBAN), including the regional official in North Central Alhaji Danladi Ciroma, who reportedly justified the killings in Plateau state as a revenge for the alleged rustling of 300 cows.
Condemning the decision of the DSS to arrest notable Christian leader in Jos, Pastor Isa Elbuba for speaking up against the Fulani instigated genocide across North Central, HURIWA described as despicable the sectional approach to law enforcement and the selective persecution of Christian leaders and the apparent immunity to kill farmers granted Miyetti Allah Association.
The body said: “Why is the DSS picking and choosing who to arrest when in our very before the chairman of MIYETTI Allah Cattle Owners Association confirmed that the 200 Plateau indigenes were slaughtered because Fulani herdsmen lost 300 cows? What can be more direct circumstantial evidence linking Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association to these attacks than this callous, reckless, irresponsible and vicious comments by Danladi Ciroma?”
Describing MACBAN as the most dangerous terrorist group in Nigeria, HURIWA urged the United States government; the United Kingdom; Germany and European Union to declare armed Fulani herdsmen backed by Miyetti Allah Organization as a terrorist group.
“We are shocked that President Buhari has consistently attempted to down play the gravity of the terror campaigns by armed Fulani herdsmen targeting largely Christian minority communities in the North by illogically comparing the casuality figures of the attacks in the Moslem dominated Zamfara state and the Christian dominated North Central. This comparison is not only nebulous but vexatious and toxic and will bring about mutual recriminations and divisions amongst the various ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
“Most Nigerians we have talked to are in a bottomless pit of shock, trepidation, traumatic panic, that nigeria’s President has become the defender of Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association to the detriment of the national security interests of all of Nigeria. This is unconstitutional.
“Why should Mr. President use this sort of offensive comparison and narratives concerning the death tolls recorded in Zamfara vis-à-vis those figures of the deaths in Plateau, Benue and Taraba? The Commander-in-chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces should be seen ordering the arrest of the sponsors of these spates of blood chilling attacks in which children, toddlers, babies, women, old men/women and the sick are slaughtered by armed Fulani herdsmen. The government must pick up the officials of Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association of Nigeria since there must be no sacred cows in the enforcement of the laws.
“The statement credited to President Buhari stating that less people are killed in Plateau and Benue than Zamfara is both insensitive and reprehensible. All lives are precious and sacred and no particular person deserves to be killed.”
HURIWA faulted Buhari’s claim that security has improved and stated that this statement reflects a government that is delusional and living in denial.
The Rights group said at no time since the fratricidal civil war had innocent blood been shed as it had happened under the watch of President Buhari.
HURIWA stated that “as long as President retains the one sided heavy dominance of Hausa/Fulani as heads of all strategic national security forces, the armed fulani killings will continue since Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association believe that they can wipe out indigenous people and occupy their lands with the protection of security forces therefore they will even escalate these violent attacks.”
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