‘Stop Reminding Igbos Of How You Participated In Killing Of Over 3 Million Of Them’ – HURIWA Tells Buhari
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to stop reminding the Igbos of the civil war that left over three million people dead.
HURIWA said this in reaction to Buhari’s statement on Tuesday after a security briefing about the attacks on facilities of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the South East, which has since drawn criticism from many across the country.
The President categorically threatened to deal with those who, according to him, want to destroy his government.
He promised to continue leading the country in accordance with constitutional provisions, adding that those misbehaving in certain parts of the country were obviously too young to know the travails and loss of lives that attended Nigerian Civil War.
Buhari added;
Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand. We are going to be very hard sooner than later.
The President stated that Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police have been changed, “and we will demand security from them.”
Reacting, HURIWA wondered how Buhari could issue such a threat to the suspected members of the self-determination organisations such as proscribed Indigenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Movement for the Survival of Biafra (MASSOB) and multiple other organisations.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group asked Buhari to stop threatening war against any section of the country and behave like a statesman except if he wants to tell the world that he is a warlord.
The Rights group pointed out that armed Fulani herdsmen are being allowed to kill thousands of farmers and destroying communities but Buhari allegedly pampers them and has never threatened to take war to their stronghold.
The group noted that whenever issues affecting the South East of Nigeria are involved, Buhari speaks with so much hatred to such an extent that it is becoming apparent that he is not yet tired of waging war against South East of Nigeria even after he fought on the side of Nigeria for 30 months against the then Biafra Republic.
Its statement reads;
Please President Muhammadu Buhari stop reminding us the Igbo of how you participated in the pogroms that resulted in the killing of over 3 million Igbo in the late 60’s and even after destroying the then Eastern Region, General Yakubu Gowon the then war time junta leader failed to rehabilitate or reconstruct the destroyed Eastern region but after the people through their efforts rebuilt South East of Nigeria.
President Buhari is now threatening to launch another civil war against Ndigbo only because a bunch of boys are constructively canvassing self-determination.
HURIWA added;
This is outrageous, provocative and sadistic. We condemn this dangerous rhetoric and hate speech with all our hearts and minds and we are putting the World on notice that Muhammadu Buhari plans to carry out another pogrom against Ndigbo.
