… Call for compulsory military training for Nigerians
… Say killings coordinated genocide
… Call for proscription of Miyetti Allah

By Emmanuel Elebeke

ABUJA– Human rights groups under the auspices of Human Rights Writers Associations of Nigeria (HURIWA), have said that the allegation of collusion between the armed herdsmen and security forces in Taraba state is not far from the truth.

The group disclosed this on Wednesday at a press briefing on the Special Human Rights Investigative Work carried out by six human rights groups under the auspices of HURIWA in Taraba State.

Speaking on the findings, the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said time has come for the National Assembly to activate section 220 of the constitution to allow every Nigerian undergo compulsory military training for self-defense since government had shown lack of capacity to protect its citizens.

General Danjuma had during a convocation ceremony in Taraba State University last month accused the military of colluding with the armed herdsmen in what he termed ethnic cleansing and charged the people to defend themselves.

Though the army refuted the claim but the Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Tukur Buratai last week set up an investigative panel to ascertain the veracity of the claim by Danjuma.

According to the group, the findings from the visit shows that what is going on in Taraba state is not clash between farmers and herdsmen but a coordinated genocide aimed at exterminating certain ethnic groups in the affected areas.

The report therefore recommended that federal government should declare the Miyetti Allah cattle Breeders Association and the armed herdsmen terrorist organization for violating the constitution of the country.

It further charged state governments particularly the affected states to lobby the National Assembly to create a legal framework that would allow for the compulsory training of Nigerians and also create vigilante groups in their respective states as enshrined in the constitution.

‘‘We went to Taraba state to investigate the allegation of collusion between the armed herdsmen and security forces. From our findings, the allegations are not too far from the truth and a call for self-defense is inevitable because government has failed to provide security for lives and property to Nigerians.

‘‘Nigerians cannot just fold their hands and allow armed hoodlums to not just waylay them but also carry our coordinated genocide. What is going on in Taraba is genocide and not ordinary attacks.

‘‘It is wrong for Nigerian media to carry headlines that it is herdsmen/farmers clashes. There are no clashes anywhere between herdsmen and farmers. What is going on is pure terrorism that is what we were able to find out in Taraba state by Fulani herdsmen.

‘‘It is now left for the government to find out where these people are coming from. We think the attackers have strong link with Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association. We don’t understand why government has not declared Miyetti Allah a terrorist organization. Government must do that if it is willing to put to an end to these killings that have been going. ‘’

Continuing, he said: ‘‘A lot of communities have been wiped out completely. We saw those communities with our eyes. It is a coordinated genocide that is going on. I don’t know why government has not appreciated the realities that are on ground.

‘‘There is a general state of panic and atmosphere of tension and fear by Nigerians that attackers could come and kill and government is there and can’t do anything to engage them.

On what government should do, the group said: ‘‘we recommend that the National Assembly should create the necessary legal frameworks for all Nigerians to have compulsory military training. It is a constitutional provision. The essence is to protect lives and property.

‘‘That we believe is the underlining objective of the framers of the Nigerian constitution. The NASS should be allowed to proceed on creating the framework.

‘‘Government of Nigeria must declare Miyetti Allah a terrorist group, arrest their leaders, arrest the killers and prosecute them because they are violating section 31 sub section 1 of the constitution.

It is the duty of government of ensure that those who have killed and those who are about to kill are arrested.

‘Because of the inefficiency of the security forces, we see that the armed herdsmen have turned their killing on both farmers and security forces.

‘‘We are not even happy that for close to 20 years we have practiced democracy, the national Assembly had not thought it wise to introduce that kind of framework.

‘‘Also, part of that section of the constitution states that the State Assemblies are authorized to make laws for security in their states. There is no law that says state governments should not create armed vigilante, if you create armed vigilante, it is not a separate police.

‘‘The state governors, especially those who are under attacks should activate that section of the constitution to stop the killings.

‘‘It is wrong for Benue state governor to ask his people to go and use stones to defend themselves because the constitution has made a provision for him to make laws to protect his people.

‘‘The states should lobby the NASS to activate that section 220 so that compulsory military training will be given to all Nigerians.

‘‘This is a warning to Nigerians that if they do not take drastic steps, they may even widen his scope of the attacks and this will be dangerous for our constitutional democracy, ’’ Onwubiko added.

On the invasion of national Assembly by thugs, the group described it as a calculated attempt to hoodwink the legislature from legislating against the ongoing killings across the country.

‘‘The invading of the National Assembly is a calculated attempt to stop the National Assembly from legislating against the killings. We think, this is like a state sponsored terrorism.

‘‘We think it must be stopped. The international community must help Nigeria because we are in a state of uncertainty; the president is not helping matters.’’