The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has made a claim against the Nigerian police authorities, including the IGP Ibrahim Adamu—that the Fulani bandits the force arrested and paraded so far are now free men.
The group asked the police headquarters to account for the “exact whereabouts” of over 500 paraded suspected armed Fulani bandits, kidnappers and other armed hoodlums arrested early in the year.
The claim was, apparently, based on insinuations.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group said it was regrettable that “whereas the police and frequently parade hundreds of suspected armed kidnappers and hoodlums but only very few notably the Billionaire kidnapper Mr. Evans has been prosecuted.
“All others arrested around the Northern axis made up of armed Fulani herdsmen turned bandits and kidnappers have seldomly (sic) been known to have been prosecuted the same way that Evans the billionaire kidnapper has faced the long arm of the law before the Lagos State High Court of justice for his heinous crimes against humanity.”
It then indicted the Force headquarters.
“It is inconceivable that the offices of the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation including the Attorney Generals of the respective states in some Northern States like Zamfara will allow the Zamfara State governor to embark on negotiated settlements with armed Fulani bandits who are responsible for some 3,000 mass murders instead of bringing these culprits to face justice in accordance with the laws.”
HURIWA insisted the top hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force should transparently render account publicly and open up the books and detention facilities to the National Human Rights Commission and credible civil rights advocacy groups all across the country to verify the exact situations concerning the progress of prosecution or otherwise of the well over 500 paraded suspected armed Fulani bandits and kidnappers.
According to the group, the measure was necessary “so the insinuations that the Police usually set free these armed Fulani bandits and armed herdsmen as soon as they are paraded in the media is doused.”
The rights group said the spike in armed Fulani banditry in far away Enugu state in which over two dozen innocent persons including Catholic priests have been slaughtered.
“There is the accusations that those inflicting terror in Enugu state may have been those set free by the police authority in Abuja and far north,”
The National Daily sought official response with a message to Force PRO Frank Mba’s phone. He has yet to respond.
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