Want FG to prioritise immediate release of abductees

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has decried President Muhammadu Buhari for his failure to stop the killing of Hauwa Liman and other aids workers that were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.HURIWA said by virtue of municipal and international humanitarian laws binding on all persons, authorities and heads of governments, President Muhammadu Buhari has no excuses for his administration’s failure to arrest the situation.

HURIWA in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in Abuja quoted the 1994 declaration adopted by the United Nations (UN) as measures to eliminate international terrorism.He explained that states are by the declaration, obliged to put measures in place to ensure that their territories are not used for terrorist installations, training camps or for terrorist attacks against citizens.

It, however, wondered why Sambisa forest has not been totally liberated going by video evidence circulated by the terrorists group.“The successful abduction of Nigerians and aids workers by the terrorists, as well as the recent deadly attacks of military formations and the killings of hundreds of soldiers must have been caused by poor intelligence gathering and failure to act when information is given to the armed forces.

“President Buhari should stop insulting our sensibilities by claiming that his government did all it could, but never succeeded in stopping the hostage takings and the gruesome killings.

That statement is a total admission that this government no longer has workable strategy to stop the spate of attacks by armed terrorists,” the statement added. Besides, HURIWA also asked President Buhari to declare those killed by Boko Haram terrorists, including Leah Sharibu and other still being held, as national heroines.

However, the International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGO) community in the country has condemned the killing of Liman in Borno State.INGO Information Officer, Moshood Raimi, in a statement issued in

Maiduguri yesterday said civil society organisations (CSOs) are in solidarity with their colleagues at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

According to Raimi, Hauwa is a dedicated and passionate aid worker with the ICRC, before terrorists abducted her last September in Rann. Meanwhile, ActionAid Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to do everything within its powers to ensure that all abducted civilians are released promptly and unharmed.

A statement issued by Communications Coordinator, ActionAid Nigeria, Lola Ayanda in Lokoja yesterday noted that the Country Director, Ene Obi, gave the charge while speaking in Abuja in response to Liman’s killing.“The killing of Hauwa could have been avoided and it is obvious that the insurgents are not making empty threats. It will be huge disaster for us as a nation if nothing is done urgently to bring back Alice and other abducted civilians,” the statement reads.