A pro-Democracy Non-governmental organization – Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned in the strongest possible terms the Saturday genocidal killings by suspected Boko Haram terrorists of nearly 100 villagers of Dalori a Maiduguri outskirts.
The Rights group said President Muhammadu Buhari must stay home to lead the war on terror by the power of personal example as a former military General who once defeated a similar armed Islamic insurgency as the then military Head of State between December 31st 1983 and August 27th 1985.
The Rights group has also called on the Nigerian Government through the office of the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubakar Malami(SAN) to begin verifiable and vigorous criminal prosecution of detained Boko Haram terrorists and their sponsors in the competent courts of law within Nigeria immediately or risk the disgrace of compelling credible civil society groups within and without Nigeria to institute class actions against Boko Haram terrorists at the International Criminal Court in The Hague Netherlands for prosecution over crimes against humanity.
HURIWA said the Nigerian Government will come under intense international scrutiny and considerable global opprobrium if the Government refuses to initiate professionally competent prosecution of terrorists who have wrecked unfathomable havoc on Nigeria and have killed over 25,000 innocent people. “Thousands of the family members of the victims of terrorism in Nigeria are waiting for justice and justice delayed is justice denied”.
HURIWA said that because the current government just like her predecessor has neglected the strategic angle of initiating concrete but comprehensive judicial proceedings against Boko Haram terrorists and identify, and subject the financiers of Boko Haram terrorism before competent courts of law for crimes of mass killings, that weak prosecutorial outlook of government has emboldened the masterminds of terrorism to increase the tempo of attacks on poor innocent Nigerians in their sleep.
The group cited the Weekend’s attack of villagers near Maiduguri in Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists in which over 85 villagers including Children, Women and the elderly were gruesomely burnt to their death has demonstrated the imperative of tasking the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government to announce the administration’s effective prosecution blueprint against Boko Haram terrorists and their sponsors immediately.
“We are worried that whereas the current government has stated her determination to prosecute alleged thieves of public fund especially key government officials in the immediate past administration but it has so far failed to publicly announce to Nigerians what transparent and efficient measures it has outlined to wage a determined and fool- proof but evidence- backed criminal prosecution of Boko Haram terrorists and their financiers the government has organised for immediate implementation.
“The human rights community hereby urges the honorable chief law officer of the Nigerian Federation to commence the vigorous prosecution of Boko Haram terrorists. We wonder why this CURRENT GOVERNMENT GIVES HIGHER PREMIUM AND PRIORITY TOWARDS CHASING SHADOWS IN THE CURRENT ILLEGAL PERSECUTION OF MR NNAMDI KANU (of IPOB) FOR SIMPLY EXERCISING HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ASSOCIATION BUT HAS SHOWN LACK OF SERIOUSNESS AND COMMITMENT TOWARDS BRINGING BOKO HARAM TERRORISTS AND THEIR FINANCIERS TO BOOK EITHER LOCALLY OR INTERNATIONALLY EVEN WHEN THESE TERRORISTS CONTINUE TO UNLEASH DEVASTATING VIOLENCE ON INNOCENT PEOPLE”.
Citing several news channels locally and globally HURIWA recalled that at least 85 people were killed on Saturday night when Boko Haram militants attacked three villages on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno state.
The victims, as gathered by HURIWA from reliable sources include women and children while over 100 people were also injured in the attack.
The three villages – Dalori, Walori and Kofa lie between five to 10 kilometres outside Maiduguri, according demographic evidence.
The attack as gathered by HURIWA began at about 7 p.m. on Saturday and lasted for nearly four hours.
The BORNO STATE Commissioner for Health Dr Haruna Mshelia was quoted by HURIWA as telling Journalists in Maiduguri Borno State that a total of 85 corpses were on Sunday recovered by security agencies and volunteers from the three villages.
The commissioner said 65 corpses were deposited at the Specialists Hospital, 10 at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital while ten other corpses burnt beyond recognition were buried in the affected villages.
The Rights GROUP also called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene to end the specters of massacres and genocidal killings by Boko Haram terrorists.
