States Should Set Up Anti-Terrorism Departments: Says HURIWA

As a practical step towards mass mobilization of all Nigerians to be extra vigilant and security conscious to check the ugly menace of the ongoing bombing campaign by armed Islamic insurgents, the 36 states governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration must key into the Federal Government counter terrorism campaign.

In a statement condemning the multiple bomb attacks in Jos, the Plateau State Capital on May 20th 2014, a civil rights organization- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) said all levels of government must set up functional departments for counter terrorism campaign and mass mobilization against the unprecedented scale of terrorism in the country.

The National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss. Zainab Yusuf of HURIWA in a joint media statement accused state governors of wasting public fund in the name of security votes and for failing to activate effective mechanisms to partner with the federal government and the Armed Forces to mobilize their citizenry to remain extra vigilant and guard against infiltration of their communities by armed insurgents belonging to Boko Haram that has severally threatened to take violent terrorism to all part of Nigeria.

The Rights group also accused the Federal Capital Territory Administration of failing to initiate effective media campaign to mobilize the residents to remain eternally vigilant and report suspected insurgents. HURIWA believes that for the violent terrorism of armed insurgents to be checked, the ordinary citizenry must be sufficiently educated and enlightened by all levels of governments to become vigilant since democracy thrives on social harmony and peace.

HURIWA said: 'while urging the Federal Government to increase the dimension and efficiency of the ongoing counter- terrorism measures by properly equipping and motivating Military troops in action, we also urge the 36 States of the federation to initiate transparently funded practical measures to prepare their populace to be security conscious'.

The Rights group also asked state governments that are yet to begin biometric data registration of all residents in their states and local government area councils to do so as one practical way of detecting strange and suspicious persons who harbor evil intentions of precipitating violent terrorism attacks.