Oduduwa Rights Accused Nigerian Government of Accomplice in Bandit and Herdsman Crimes in Nigeria
Oduduwa Rights, an international organisation working for the broad interests of the Oduduwa people in Nigeria and beyond said the government of Nigeria and the officials are behind the crimes across the country.
The director of Oduduwa Rights, Otega Owumi, said that the criminal activities which have claimed many lives and properties in Nigeria are not only known to the Nigerian Government but are also sponsored by Government officials.
The payment of ransom and granting of amnesty to the criminals after killing, raping, and kidnaping shows clearly that there are members of the government collaborating with private citizens to loot the government treasury. This same government ordered the arrest and unconstitutional detaining of peaceful protesters who are protesting the molestations, brutalization, and oppressions they have received from the security operatives.
Society is built on and sustained by the rule of law. This dictates that no one should be above the law and crime must be accompanied by prescribed punishment. Amnesty in the modern era, is usually given by governments to political offenders. International jurors oppose granting pardons to mass murderers and the International Criminal Tribunal has lately rejected pardons granted by weak states for crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
He said the nepotism and body language of President Muhammadu Buhari is an indication that the current administration encourages crimes in Nigeria. How can a president of a multi-ethnic country have a formation of the National Security Council that has 9 northerners and 2 southerners with police minister also as a northerner?
Otega referred to the statement of the Bauchi State Governor promoting the Killer Herdsmen carrying AK47 firearms, and he pointed out that the statement is an indication that northern politicians have a hidden agenda, but Nigerians will resist any unholy plot. The military deployed heavy operations against the Eastern Security Network – ESN in the eastern part of Nigeria but could not use the same force against the northern bandits across Nigeria. The Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani – Bello who has refused to surrender to the plot of the criminals was forced to change his position recently because it is now clear to him that the criminal gang have godfathers in government.
How can any sensible person compare the Bandit and Niger Delta Movement? Niger Delta people are anchoring their grievances on real wrongs done to their people and their environment and clamouring for legitimate redress. The major resources of this country come from the region. Bandits have no legitimate grouse, and neither should they be weaponized and bankrolled by Northern-led Nigerian government to kill, maim, and rape the already dehumanised citizens of Nigeria. Some Northern elite fixated on the divisive national sharing culture that hobbles consensus, should stop citing the Niger Delta amnesty as conferring entitlement on bandits and terrorists for a similar treatment.
The most surprising part of this story is that the same Nigeria government including the security agencies confirmed that the bandits and herdsmen are not Nigerians, but criminal elements from neighbouring countries. Therefore, it beggars the question that the government grant foreign criminals amnesty in Nigeria as well as provide them money and weapons! Who supplies the foreign criminals the weapons from Nigerian Army which was confirmed by the Nigerian Inspector General of Police? These are questions we need to ask ourselves.
The director on behalf of the organisation calls on the international community to begin a serious investigation into the situation in Nigeria before the situation goes out of hand. Reminding them that, any crisis in Nigeria will seriously impact Africa and the world at large, negatively.
He said the only solution to Nigeria’s problem is regional autonomy to achieve freedom from the menace of underdevelopment, nepotism, corruption, oppression, and insecurity. He called on the citizens to organise themselves lawfully to request for the Oduduwa Autonomy. The Oduduwa people must unite and return the Oduduwa-land to its prestigious place, as it is a cradle of democracy.
