James Sowole in Akure
The pan-Yoruba socio- political group, Afenifere, on Tuesday called on the United Nations rapporteurs on genocide to investigate the spate of killings in Nigeria.
The call was contained in a communiqué adopted at the end of the group’s monthly meeting held at the Ijapo, Akure residence of its National Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti.
The meeting was attended by leaders and members of the group from the six South-west states, Kwara, and Kogi States.
Presenting the communiqué to journalists, Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said the call became important to prevent the happenings from blowing into full scale war
Afenifere said if the disaster unfolds into full scale war, the international community would have a deep problem on its hands.
“The UN must investigate the genocide and bring the appropriate international sanctions against Nigerian government for promoting, aiding and abetting genocidal conduct by armed Fulani herdsmen across the country,†Afenifere said.
The group said it was disturbing that government that declared IPOB that has not killed one soul as a terrorist group is now making excuses for the Fulani herdsmen, they are driving this country on the road to Kigali.
Afenifere said it noted the recent comments on ethnic cleansing across the country and the complicity of the Armed Forces as alleged by the former Chief of Army Staff and Defence Minister, Lt General  T Y Danjuma.
“Danjuma was taken seriously because as former Chief of Army Staff and Defense Minister, knows and has a deep knowledge of the military and could not have open his vein.
“Afenifere further observed that those even without that kind of knowledge have enough circumstantial evidence to come with that conclusions,†the group said.
According to Afenifere, there are clear circumstantial evidences to convince people about the allegations levelled against the military and the Nigerian government.
“Thousand of people have been killed in the last three years across the country by the Fulani armed herdsmen without one person prosecuted or brought to book by this government
“The President and Commander in Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari after the January killings in Benue, advised the governor of Benue State to go and find accommodation for their neighbours who everybody knows are their killers
The Inspector General of Police, who ordinarily is the chief law enforcer of the country openly declared that the killings in Benue were communual misunderstanding and that the killers were Nigerians afterall
“The Minister of Defence also blamed the killings by herdsmen on the fact that their cattle routes had been blocked by farmers
At the Senate security sitting early this year, the Director General of DSS declared openly at the summit that most of the sophisticated weapons being used by terror gangs are from the armouries of the Nigerian security forces and we are putting it in public space for over three weeks they have not done anything on it.
“The military in responding to Danjuma’s allegations claimed they are neutral in the one sided killing that is going on in Nigeria when those who should enforce the law and ensure that the killing is stopped and killers are arrested claimed neutrality and all they are saying is that they have gone referees when Nigerians are being slaughtered in droves,†Afenifere stated.
The group said the statements credited to both the presidency, the police and the military are the greatest admission of the fact that there is state aided genocide going on in Nigeria.
It noted that the primary duty of any government is to protect lives and property and any government that cannot do that is not a government.
“With these and the claim from Danjuma, it is clear that there is a state aided genocide going on in Nigeria at the moment and with all these above statement from those who should stop it, making Pro killers comments , it is clear that there is no remedies in Nigerian state as presently constituted
“We demand from Nigerian authorities the immediate disarmament of the exclusive terror machine in the hands of Fulani herdsmen and the reorganisation of the architectural of security of Nigeria to reflect federal character,†Afenifere said.
The group expressed joy with the parent of the recently abducted Dapchi girls that their daughters had been returned to them expressing however distressed that Leah Sharibu is still in the custody of the captors because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.
Afenifere therefore called on Nigerian government to do the kind of arrangement that they did that brought back the 101 girls, for Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls who have been forgotten.
“The government cannot be claiming her response is better than Jonathan when all these other girls are still in the captivity of Boko Haram, that they are negotiating with, because Nigerians are not impressed that these girls are still in captivity and the government is feeling unconcerned.
“There are a lot than meet the eyes over the drama on this Dapchi, how security men disappered and these Boko Haram came in trucks and police are looking at them, people are hailing them there is much drama around this abduction and release of these girls,†Afenifere said.
