Declare armed militiamen terrorists, HURIWA urges Buhari

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare armed Fulani herdsmen terrorizing all parts of Nigeria a terrorist group.

The rights group, in a statement on Monday, applauded the decision of the Federal Government through Nigerian Armed Forces to launch a massive manhunt for the terrorists unleashing mayhem on unsuspecting citizens of the country particularly in the north.

In the statement, HURIWA also called for the investigation of the reported attacks on a military base by bandits in Zamfara State which led to the death of many security operatives.

The statement reads, “The confirmation that at least 12 personnel were killed while three were wounded in the attack on Forward Operating Base in Mutumji, Dansadau Local Government of Zamfara State, is a further justification of our consistent Advocacy for the classification by President Muhammadu Buhari of the armed terrorists as TERRORISTS so the right kind of massive scale of persistent military bombardments can be sustained on these flashpoints to take out the terrorists who had earlier shot down a military jet in Zamfara State.

“The best way to achieve holistic results from the heightened offensive by security forces against bandits in the North-west region of Nigeria is for the President to declare them as terrorists and go after them as such just.

“President Muhammadu Buhari should not hesitate to declare the armed militia as terrorists given that the latest attack on the military base, according to sources, left a casualty of nine Air Force, two police and one Nigerian Army personnel”.