The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government of protecting killer Fulani herdsmen and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association while waging an unnecessary war against self- determination agitators from Southern Nigeria.

HURIWA criticised the federal government for not declaring armed Fulani herdsmen and armed Fulani militia including the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association which “backs mass killings of Christian farmers by armed Fulani herdsmen as terrorist groups. ”
According to the group, the selective arrests of mainly Southern Nigerian agitators whilst pampering Fulani terrorists  is a at variance with Chapter 4. Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution which represents the right to the freedom from discrimination and that provides thus:

“(1) A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person:-

“(a) be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are not made subject; or

“(b) be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions.(2) No citizen of Nigeria shall be subjected to any disability or deprivation merely by reason of the circumstances of his birth.(3) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall invalidate any law by reason only that the law imposes restrictions with respect to the appointment of any person to any office under the State or as a member of the armed forces of the Federation or member of the Nigeria Police Forces or to an office in the service of a body, corporate established directly by any law in force in Nigeria.”

READ ALSO: How Yoruba Leaders’re Working To Stop Sunday Igboho’s Extradition From Benin Republic

HURIWA continued: “President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has clearly demonstrated to the world that it is only out to stop crusaders in Southern Nigeria who have effectively activated mechanisms for checking and slowing down the incessant violence and terror attacks against communities all over Southern Nigeria by armed Fulani militia supported by Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association.

“The administration of Muhammadu Buhari by fiercely going after Sunday Igboho of the Yoruba self- determination agitation platform and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of the erroneously proscribed indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and then maintaining unpatriotic silence and active conspiratorial silence on the dastardly terrorist activities of Muhammadu Buhari’s kinsmen, the armed Fulani attackers and kidnappers including those who shot down military jet in Zamfara State, has shown together with its refusal to ease out the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Sheikh Ibrahim Pantami who was clearly caught supporting Al- Queada and the Taleban Islamic terror group in Afghanistan, that the central government supports the activities of the Fulani militants masquerading as Fulani herdsmen who are on a well-coordinated rampage to seize the ancestral lands of Southerners including the Christian-dominated Southern Kaduna State whose communities have continued to face devastating violence and terror attacks from the armed Fulani militia and kidnappers.

‘The government by this latest clampdown on Sunday Igboho has demonstrated unambiguous evidence of supporting the agenda of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria which only few days back made a senseless allegation that South West Governors are providing refuge for Sunday Igboho even when the gentleman has committed no crime but is being framed up over trumped up charges made by the Department of State Services that seems to be working in cahoots with the Fulani ethnic warriors. His arrest is illegal and unconstitutional because his declaration as a wanted person in the first instance was a nullity because he is staying away for his safety and to avoid the cruel fate that befell his associates who were murdered by the Nigerian State in Ibadan.”

HURIWA recalled that Igboho was reportedly arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic even as the government of Buhari is said to be making moves to extradite him to Nigeria.

“The freedom crusader Sunday Igboho whose only crime is speaking out against the incessant invasions of Yoruba ancestral lands by armed Fulani herdsmen was arrested at an airport in Cotonou on Monday night, a top source familiar with the matter stated”, HURIWA said.

Citing media reports, HURIWA said Igboho was arrested by the security forces in Benin Republic about three weeks after the Department of State Services declared him wanted for allegedly stockpiling arms, an allegation he has since denied.

READ ALSO: How Sunday Igboho Was Arrested In Cotonou

HURIWA quoted the media group as saying, thus: “He was arrested in Cotonou while he tried to travel out on Monday night. His destination was Germany. The security forces in Benin Republic should repatriate him to Nigeria on Tuesday.”

HURIWA however “stated that Sunday Igboho may have decided to find a safe haven to avoid facing a cruel fate which befell some of his allies who were gruesomely murdered by the Nigerian State when the Nigerian secret police had raided Igboho’s Ibadan residence in the Soka area on July 1, 2021, just as the invading armed secret police who reportedly shot sporadically and destroyed many cars, killed several cats and human beings and  arrested about 12 of his aides and killed two of them in a gun duel.

“We think Mr. Sunday Igboho is a prisoner of conscience just like Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who was illegally abducted in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria.  In the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,  he alleged that his life was threatened when soldiers invaded his father’s palace but in the case of Sunday Igboho he ran to save his dear life because there were imminent threats to his life and those of his affiliates only because they took action to chase out the invading armed Fulani herdsmen.

“Nigerians should ask the President to declare Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and the armed Fulani attackers bombarding all parts of Nigeria as terrorists groups or else it should be noted by all and sundry that President Muhammadu Buhari is actually supporting the agenda of these Fulani terrorists to destabilise Nigeria in their attempts to take away lands from natives of communities in the South and other Christian-dominated areas in Northern Nigeria.”