Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has tasked the Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma to provide effective leadership in the State and stamp out the incessant attacks and killings of citizens by armed Fulani terrorists masquerading as herders.
HURIWA noted that Governor Uzodimma seems to be massively distracted by the politics of opportunism and securing procured endorsements for the second term ambition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, so much so that he really spends little time in Imo state to pay attention to the issues of a lack of effective and efficient government-led response to the heightened state of insecurity in the state which has led to the sudden invasion of several farmlands by armed Fulani terrorists in Imo State.
The Rights group which stated these in a statement by Emmanuel Onwubiko, its national coordinator, condemned and described as an intolerable crime, the brutal killing of a Nigerian citizen of Imo origin who returned from the United States of America and was on his way to inspect his landed assets in Umuguma, Owerri Imo state.
HURIWA noted that the latest attack by armed Fulani terrorists on Sunday evening which resulted in the gruesome killing of the United States-based returnee and the abduction of his wife in Umuguma, Owerri West Local Council of Imo State, is one case amongst the multiplicity of reported attacks by Fulani terrorists in the State.
A statement by Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA, lamented that armed herders have carried out over three dozen violent operations in Imo State even as no single arrest or prosecution has been transparently recorded.
According to HURIWA; “The constitutional duty of the state governor is to implement foolproof proactive security measures and activate security mechanisms to secure lives and property of the good people of Imo State.
“In the event that the Imo State governor prefers playing politics of 2027 second term ambition of President Tinubu, he can as well resign immediately so Imo state citizens can elect a capable, competent and caring Governor who would see to the adequate protection of lives and property of the good people of the State who are currently under intensive terrorists’ attacks masterminded by Fulani terrorists who pretend to be herdsmen,” it said.
HURIWA said that if Governor Uzodinma has no solution to the killings of Imo citizens by armed Fulani terrorists, then he has no business remaining as the governor of the state, stressing that his abysmal failures to provide efficient and effective security to protect the citizens is a negation of the constitutional oath of office he took as the governor of Imo state.
HURIWA also said that reading the uninspiring response of the Imo State Police Command manifested the shameless absence of any sort of professional commitment on the part of the police and the multiple layers of armed security forces in Imo state to work as partners to rid the State of the incessant attacks by Fulani terrorists who are emboldened by the inaction of government.
It further said; “The security forces should end these killings or alternatively the government should licence the citizens to bear arms and sophisticated weapons like Ak-47 and AK-49 to safeguard their precious lives and hard-earned property especially their landed assets now under grave threats of takeover by Fulani terrorists”.
