HURIWA Carpets Buhari, Security Agencies over Zamfara Massacre 

A non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the failure of the nation’s security forces to end the intermittent mass genocide of villagers by armed hoodlums in Zamfara State.

According to HURIWA, rather than President Muhammadu Buhari ordering surgical and comprehensive law enforcement efforts to crush the growing number of well-armed militias operating in Zamfara State and whose identities may be known to security officials, he chose to dilly-dally and chase shadows.

HURIWA condemned the federal government for only decisively showing interest in launching intensive manhunt for the armed hoodlums when cases of cattle rustling were involved and wondered why the special forces put together and inaugurated by the military has failed to protect human lives. 

“A serving Senator even accused his State governor of not doing enough to stop the killings but this strategic issue of safeguarding lives and property of the citizens has been politicised and when two elephants fight, only the grass suffer. Should innocent blood continue to flow in Zamfara State?

“We have followed the ugly security challenges in Zamfara State in the last couple of years and we are shocked that the Nigerian state which showed the capacity to draw out some of these armed kingpins to ceasefire temporarily and stop cattle rustling cannot now be competent and capable of stopping the blood cuddling bonanza of mass killings of poor, innocent civilians.

 in many unsecured habitations of Zamfara State.

“We find it unbelievable that dozens of poor, innocent civilians are gunned down but all the heads of the internal security agencies are not held to account. This is the primitive display of impunity and this is a danger signal against democracy.

“In a sane society, both the Inspector General of police; DG of DSS and Comptroller General of Civil Defence would have been forced to resign for gross dereliction of duty. These mass killing of Zamfara people are outrageous,” HURIWA charged.

HURIWA recalled that the orgy of violence in the country continued on Wednesday as 41 persons were killed by bandits who invaded Birane, a sleepy agrarian village in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The rights body quoted the state police command spokesman, DSP Muhammad Shehu, in a statement, as having confirmed the incident and said it was a conflict between hunters, local vigilantes and the bandits.

“Sadly, after gunmen torched dozens of residences and sent 24 persons to the great beyond in about three communities in Shinkafi Local Government Area of the state last November, the federal government indicated its intention to establish a brigade of the Nigerian Army in some states to stem the killings in the region, particularly in Zamfara, Kebbi and Katsina. We must stop this bloodshed now,” they warned.