Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has blamed members of the deep state and foreign mercenaries for executing the vicious attacks on the Abia State cattle market.
According to HURIWA, the attack was carried out to instigate the killings of ndigbo living in the far north and to spread civil conflicts between Igbos and their northern brethren.
“We urge the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Governors of the South East of Nigeria and the Igbo World’s congress to jointly hire forensic and security experts and investigators from any part of the world to uncover the exact identities of the so-called unknown gunmen,” HURIWA said in a statement signed by Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko its national coordinator, and the National Media Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, and made available to newsmen.
HURIWA said it believes that “members of the security forces or foreign mercenaries hired by Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association, angered by the anti- open grazing legislations in the South East and are now on a mission to start off a civil war by attacking peaceful cattle owners just so the North will boil in anger and to transfer the aggression and reprisals on peaceful Igbo citizens of Nigeria living legitimately with their Northern brothers/sisters.
“We appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to be a statesman and douse the rising tension by releasing the wrong lyrics detained leader of the now proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and initiate broad-based National reconciliation and constructive dialogues among ethnicities to promote National integration and unity in Nigeria.”
HURIWA said it believes that the alleged ill advised decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to clamp down militarily on the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, is the fundamental cause of the security crisis in the southeast because diverse groups with divisive agenda are now seeking to stoke up the embers of disunity.
“The video recordings of some of the attackers are everywhere. We do not think the Eastern Security Network or the now proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) are responsible for the Abia attacks. We believe even strongly that FIFTH columnists are out to destabilize the South East of Nigeria,” the group said.
HURIWA explicitly alleged that the South East of Nigeria is under attacks by outsiders who want to cash in on the nebulous anti-cow posture of IPOB to attack northerners in the east so as to achieve their dare devil agenda and the silence and willful inability of Nigeria’s security forces to uncover who the unknown gunmen are points to a larger conspiratorial plots against the South East of Nigeria by enemies of the Igbos”.
HURIWA recalled that the Abia State Government had confirmed the reported attack by yet-to-be identified gunmen on the newly constructed cattle market in Omumauzor in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state.
An unspecified number of people were reportedly killed during the deadly attack that occurred late Tuesday evening.
“The Igbo man and woman are the most peaceful and hospitable citizens and are not known for carrying out bloody violence on their visitors who live amongst them. The Northerners living in the East are like every Igbo person and so the Igbos respects the sanctity of life,” the group said.
