September 19, (THEWILL) – Civil society organisation, Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA), has appealed to restive agitators for self government in the South East to ceasefire and opt for constructive dialogues if they are behind the series of bloody violence.
This is just as the Rights group has strongly condemned the violent killing and burning of armed security forces by a yet to be determined group of armed non-state actors in Imo State.
This was made known through a statement by the National Co-ordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko.
HURIWA said it is inconceivable that security operatives sent to the state to maintain law and order are subjected to this gruesome and painful death in the hands of a yet to be ascertained bunch of armed non state actors who have thrown Imo State into a state of war, anarchy, doom and bloodbath.
The Rights group has also called on politicians to set their differences aside and work collectively to restore peace, stability and state-wide consensus on how best to bring about total reconciliation and concord in the state hitherto known for its ability to attract tourists from all over the World.
HURIWA has also called for a broad-based investigation of these killings to actually ascertain the suspected killers and for effective justice delivery to be operationalised.
HURIWA stressed that they reacting against the backdrops of the story filtering out of Imo State, that gunmen killed eight security personnel including soldiers, police officers, and members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The Rights group described the crime as despicable, reprehensible and disgusting and appealed for total ceasefire from all armed non-state and state actors in Imo State for the sake of the millions of Imo citizens that have faced constant ordeals of witnessing bloody violence intermittently.
“Imo citizens deserve to live in peace and concord and Imo State has suffered for far too long from unnecessary shedding of innocent blood.
“The tragedy, which occurred on Tuesday morning, in Umualumaku village, Ehime Mbano Local Government locals, has caused concern in the locals. HURIWA is warning the Army, DSS, Police not to contemplate carrying out revenge mission which will simply be a targeted genocidal killing of innocent residents.”
The joint security taskforce team, who were in two security trucks were ambushed and set ablaze by their attackers.
None of them survived as they were burnt inside their operational vehicles.
A security operative, who doesn’t want to be mentioned told our correspondent that reinforcement teams had been sent to the scene of the crime with the intent to arrest the suspects and rescue the corpses of the slain security operative.
HURIWA in a statement by the National Coordinator, Comrade Onwubiko, stated that bloodshed and violence do not result in any progressive development just as the Rights group called on the Imo State governor, Mr Hope Uzodinma, to consider the public good of Imo State and reconsider his decision to go for a second term in office.
According to the group, giving that his administration has substantially brought untold hardships, killings, maiming and destruction of lives and property of citizens, inadvertently.
“HURIWA is not blaming the governor for instigating the violence but he has to realise that the killings have gone on for far too long and the casualty rates are really getting extremely unacceptable. The sacrifice he needs to make is to relinquish his second term ambition for the sake of the survival of Imo State.”
HURIWA recommends that no amount of sacrifice is too much to make if that will bring about lasting peace, concord and stability in Imo State.
The Rights group lamented that instead of the political leaders of Imo State working for lasting peace and security of the State, they are all preoccupied with the November 2023 gubernatorial election as if they prefer to preside over a subnational entity engulfed in unending war and bloodshed.
HURIWA has also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take steps to end the armed restiveness all over Nigeria.
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