HURIWA urges government to declare security emergency over killings

To check the rising cases of sectarian killings in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to declare national security emergency.

A pro-democracy and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria(HURIWA), gave the advice. The group called on the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to urgently convoke what it called a “national crime situation and prosecution monitoring conference” along with 36 states attorneys-general to enable soldiers and other competent armed forces go after mass murderers.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, also called on President Buhari to diffuse the social tension in the country by rejigging the national security apparatus and personnel so that all religious and regional affiliations would have a sense of belonging.

“The dominance of different architecture by officers from one religious affiliation, by officers from the north and from one religion has created social panic and tension and a considerable quantum of apprehension by other Nigerians who see these decisions by Mr. President as favouring only officers from his religious affiliation,” he said.

The rights group also asked state Houses of Assembly to promulgate a law for setting up of crime data bank in their respective states whereby all categories of criminals convicted by the State High Courts are documented and for such people to be placed on closed security watch.

HURIWA suggested that those convicted of such serious crime as murder and rape of minors should be monitored to ascertain their movements and locations using wearing of some scientific accessories that can easily decode their movements for the rest of their lives.

“We also propose necessary amendments to Nigeria’s Criminal Law to ban those convicts who escaped the hangman’s noose from public offices for life,” it added.