Shettima chasing shadows by blaming poverty for terrorism –HURIWA

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), says Vice President Kashim Shettima’s understanding of terrorism and banditry in the North West and North East is warped, adding that terrorists are some of the richest and well-organised networks in the world.

Recall that the Vice President had in a forum said the twin-war of terrorism and banditry in the Northern part of Nigeria is “accentuated by poverty” and “social exclusion”.

Reacting, HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the Vice President is chasing shadows by blaming poverty for North West or North East terrorism as a poor man cannot buy military grade weapon and other anti-aircraft missiles used to down Nigerian Air Force fighter jets in Zamfara, Borno and other insurgent-riddled states in northern Nigeria.

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HURIWA further knocked Shettima for saying that “unless we want to engage in an endless war of attrition, there cannot be a military solution to the crisis in the northwest. There has to be a kinetic and non-kinetic solution”.

The Vice President was said to have made the comment in a chat with newsmen while on a condolence visit to Kano over the weekend, adding that a “Pulaku Solution ” will be unveiled to end the decade-long terror menace in the country. Pulaku in Fulfulde means brotherhood and helping the Fulani community.

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is so unfortunate that the ex-governor of Boko Haram-infested Borno State has limited understanding of the dimensions of terrorism, especially in Nigeria. Terrorists are some of the richest and well-organised networks. The North West terrorists of Zamfara and Borno are not poor but they are members of international illegal mining networks with probably links to some rogues in China and Middle East.”

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These same “poor” insurgents shot down a NAF jet on 18 July 2021, which led to its crash in Zamfara State. In April 2021, the Abubakar Shekau-led faction of Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a crash involving an alpha jet operated by NAF.

In many videos released by the terrorists, they were seen engaging NAF jets flying at low range in a gunfight. The insurgents were usually armed with machine guns, especially ones that seem to be anti-aircraft weapons.

“Shettima is chasing shadows by blaming poverty for North West or North East terrorism. Can any poor man buy military grade weapons for the terrorists deployed in Zamfara to shoot down a military jet?

“Also, the talk about using a non-kinetic approach with the insurgents has expired and cannot work. All the deradicalisation and amnesty that Shettima, and other former and serving governors in Katsina, Zamfara and Borno gave to insurgents have not achieved any solution but worsened the situation.

“These are hardened terrorists extremely detrimental to the survival of Nigeria. Nigeria must not negotiate with them or use a non-kinetic approach but frontal military firepower.”