HURIWA writes US, UK, others to stop 'ongoing extra-judicial killings' in S'East

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), in a letter addressed the United States president Joe Biden, its Congress; Prime Minister of Great Britain, Canada, and Australia, to urgently intervene the clampdown and killing innocent youths in the South East region.

HURIWA said it had complained to the Chief of Army Staff in a letter, of the “ruthless assault claiming the lives of proactive youths in the Eastern region”. “Nothing positive has been done about it,” the group stated.

The letter, signed by the HURIWA President, Emmanuel Onwubiko, appealed to the US president, British Prime Minister to spur Nigeria’s Buhari, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces; towards checking insecurity in the land.

Onwubiko noted; “You will recall that due to the sad incidents of the emergence of security threats constituted by some criminal elements collectively called unknown gunmen, who have in the past few weeks attacked police formations and killed policemen in an unwarranted and treacherous manner, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has reportedly approved what the government simply called ‘new security measures for South East and South South’.”

“We are by this last warning asking the Chief of Army Staff, the Governor and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to stop the genocide being masterminded by the armed soldiers, who are mostly persons of the non Igbo speaking state, to stop the shoot – on- sight order by the army chief, which has already led to the killings of many Igbo youths, especially in Imo.

“These persons would not go scot-free and will in the fullness of time, be brought to face criminal trial in Hague, Netherland s before the International Criminal Court. Our earlier warning to go to the ICC will be met soon.

The group added: “Government has not informed the public about the nature of the security measures.

“It is our understanding based in credible media reports that the military high command, ordered soldiers to shoot on sight in the South East and South South. This is unconstitutional and illegal. This directive has led to the killings of many youths in South East. We had sent a letter to the Chief of Army Staff calling his attention to this illegality and urged him to order his soldiers to stop killing Igbo young Nigerians, but all to no avail.”

HURIWA also admonished the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma to stop the illegal execution of Youths by soldiers and police in his State.