Godwin ShaibuCivil rights advocacy group Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has backed the criticism made by the governor of Plateau State, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, against the inability of the military to arrest or neutralize the terrorists that killed 27 farmers in Riyom Plateau State last week.
Similarly, the rights group blamed the Nigeria Police Force for its persistent failures to prevent and detect crimes of terrorism in Plateau State and the willful failure on the part of the police to arrest the terrorists so the justice ministry, in partnership with the police, can bring the killers to justice is a violation of relevant sections of the Police Act of 2020 on the powers and functions of the Nigeria Police Force.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHURIWA recalled that the Plateau State Government had expressed frustration with the Nigerian Army for failing to apprehend or neutralize the gunmen who killed 27 farmers in the Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area, on Monday.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, said the military had engaged the attackers during the incident but failed to make any arrests, despite the proximity of a checkpoint.
“The checkpoint is barely 200 meters from where this incident happened.
“The response we got was that none were arrested and none were captured. None of those killed were affected by all that happened,” she said.
She noted that the attacked community is near an access road and surrounded by military checkpoints, making the lack of arrests more concerning.
Ramnap stated, “It is not a hidden community that we would say it is far, and that is why the people were not able to access help.
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“We do not want to stereotype and say that the entire Army compromised in this case, the commissioner concluded.
Adding their voice of solidarity and support, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) said it is hypocritical that the military arrested alleged killers of soldiers in the same state but failed to either arrest or neutralize the terrorists who attacked a community within very close proximity to a military checkpoint.
“The Chief of Defence Staff or the Chief of Army Staff, as the case may be, needs to constitute an internal investigative panel to look into this disturbing scenario in which his armed operatives completely allowed terrorists to escape even when it was said that there were exchanges of gunfire between the military and the terrorists. We think that letting terrorists escape the wrath of the armed security forces is tantamount to sabotaging the internal security of Plateau State, and this dereliction of duty affects the primary duty of government, which is to protect the lives and property of the citizens.”
