The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has carpeted the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Antonio Gutterres over his support for rehabilitation, reintegration and granting of pardon by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for detained Islamic terrorists.
HURIWA said the support given to this irregular and unconstitutional handling of terrorists by President Muhammadu Buhari as made known during the whistle stop visit to Nigeria by the UN Secretary General Mr. Antonio Gutterres provided more fire and motivation for Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists to escalate their targeted attacks on Christians believing that if and whenever they are caught the Nigerian President will grant them pardon with the international support now provided by the UN system through the person of the Secretary General.
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HURIWA in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said it was shocked that despite the red flag given by ECOWAS on Nigerian government’s unwillingness to stop terrorism financing through Nigerian Financial system as revealed by the Economic Community of West African States, the UN Secretary General Mr. Antonio Gutterres went ahead to applaud the unconstitutional decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to continuously grant pardon to detained Islamic terrorists under its faulty reintegration policy in the North East of Nigeria.
HURIWA recalled that the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa, established by the Economic Community of West African States, says Boko Haram splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province, moved about N18bn ($36m) generated from trading and taxing communities in the Lake Chad region through the Nigerian financial system annually.
The group, set up by ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in 2000, stated that both Boko Haram and ISWAP had continued to mobilise, move and utilise funds through the nation’s formal financial and commercial system.
It read, “The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms the heinous attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5 that resulted in the death and injuries to scores of civilians as people gathered for the Pentecost service.
“The Secretary-General emphasises that attacks on places of worship are abhorrent. He urges the Nigerian authorities to spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators to justice.”
The Secretary-General extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
He also expressed his sympathies and solidarity with the Government and people of Nigeria.
HURIWA however asked the UN SECRETARY GENERAL to shut the trap up because his latest statement is hypocritical and irresponsible because he had already backed the illegal release of arrested and detained terrorists as is being done by President Muhammadu Buhari just as HURIWA said that most of the released terrorists go back to bomb more soft targets ever after.