US Designation Of Boko Haram As Terrorist Group Insufficient—Says HURIWA
Convinced that the recent designation as a terrorist organization of Boko Haram and Ansaru by the United States Department, a democracy inclined group-HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS' ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to step in and take over the prosecution of arrested terrorism masterminds.
The Rights group is of the view that letting hundreds of arrested terrorism masterminds to languish in various military detention facilities in Nigeria because the Nigerian court system is too weak, corrupt and so compromised to guarantee social justice to the thousands of innocent Nigerians massacred in the organized bombing campaign, is in itself a crime against humanity which must be addressed on a global scale.
The Rights group also dismissed as monumental waste of tax payers' money, the resources spent by government to run what it calls the just ended huge scam known as the Presidential Committee on insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
The group has therefore demanded that President Jonathan publishes to Nigerians the true financial record of what the office of secretary to government of the federation spent in running that Presidential Committee headed by Special Duties minister Mr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN) which never succeeded in its mandate.
Besides, the Rights group asked the Nigerian Government to disband forthwith the so-called Presidential white paper drafting committee set up to sum up the findings of the failed Presidential committee on insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
In a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Affairs Director Miss. Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA charged President Jonathan to either ensure that the relevant justice ministries undertake professional and profoundly competent prosecution of all suspected terrorists detained by the Nigerian State or allow the international crimes court to step in.
Noting that the designation as foreign terrorists organization by the United States government of the two Nigerian armed Islamic insurgency groups was too late in coming, the Rights group said government of Nigeria has so far failed to bring perpetrators of the dastardly mass killings to effective and efficient prosecution in the competent courts of law over the past two years.
HURIWA which has consistently dismissed the government's peace move through the now defunct presidential dialogue committee on insecurity in the North headed by Special Duties Cabinet minister, also reminded the Nigerian government of the Supreme Constitutional obligation it owes to the Souls of the departed murdered in their prime by these armed terrorists to bring all the perpetrators to swift justice.
Regretting however that the Nigerian government has failed spectacularly to bring terrorists to swift trial, due to a combination of factors, HURIWA has therefore appealed to the United Nations Human Rights council and the international crimes court in The Hague, Netherlands, to consider stepping in to ensure that Justice is dispensed to all those killed in the various bombing campaign by armed insurgents across Nigeria.
HURIWA stated thus; “While noting that it is very appropriate but late in the day for the United States to designate Boko Haram and its affiliate as foreign terrorist organizations, Nigerians are yearning that swift justice is brought to bear on the mass murderers”.
The United States had on November 13th 2013 announced the designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as foreign Terrorists organization (FTO) under section 219 of the immigration and Nationality Act, as amended and also labeled the groups as “Specially designated global terrorists under section 1 (b) of executive order (EO) 13224”.
The Nigerian government which has in the past pleaded with the armed insurgents for peace talks has however welcomed the new designation of the two groups by the American government.