Emab Plaza Bombing: Huriwa Calls For Civilian JTF In Abuja
A democracy inclined non-governmental organization-HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS' ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has canvassed the setting up of civilian joint task force (Civilian JTF) to partner closely with security operative in Abuja to fish out undesirable elements with links to the dreaded armed insurgents.
The Rights group which strongly condemned as barbaric, primitive and irrational the spate of bomb attacks in the nation's capital also called on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory Senator Bala Mohammed to put into place effective mechanism for comprehensive but free and compulsory residential biometric registration for all residents of the Federal Capital Territory and the setting up of coordinating council of all the districts of the Federal Capital to be composed of trusted and tested landlords and tenants with credible crime free records to monitor activities of all residents of their residential areas and document and track movement of all persons on daily basis.
HURIWA through the national coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf stated that since Abuja residents irrespective of all affiliation have become endangered species from the imminent and present danger of attacks by armed infiltrators belonging to the armed insurgency, it has become imperative that urgent measures are adopted to save the lives and property of Nigerians.
The Rights group said since the armed insurgents have successfully attacked several areas in Abuja with high casualties, it is necessary that the residents set up voluntary security joint task force whose mandate will cover surveillance on all flashpoints and partnering with accredited security agencies to check the infiltration of Abuja by armed insurgents.
The group also called on the political authority to set up transparent, open and accountable body to monitor the commercial activities of sellers of gas cylinders and other facilities which are assembled by bombers in order to stop the attack before they happen.
HURIWA stated thus; “We call on the Federal government to consider the purchase and distribution of effective body armours to Abuja residents who must have been registered biometrically to reduce the effects of the improvise explosive devices. We think it is illogical to deny law abidden Nigerians the life saving opportunity of wearing body armour to wade off attacks by bombers on the ground that armed robbers can have access to them. It is better to save lives than to frustrate the distribution of body armours on this nebulous ground. Since it is proven that body armour can reduce the impacts of improvised explosive devices, it has become imperative that extreme measures are taken by government for the time being to preserve and protect the fundamental right to life of innocent Nigerians”.
HURIWA which said that the measures taken so far in the flashpoints of insurgency are not far reaching enough, has also called for an all day surveillance of all streets and districts in Abuja by armed security operatives in partnership with civilian joint task force to seek to stop these mass murderers before they strike and unleash violence on an unprecedented scale. “Asking hotels to submit names of their guests does not make enough security sense since anyone can parade fake identity cards and there is no sacred rule that armed insurgents must lodge in hotels. Political authorities and members of the Residents' association should take effective proactive measures to know what happens on daily basis in their terrain including making available functional phone contacts to provide information to military authority in times of emergency such as these”.