HURIWA lambasts Gbajabiamila for 'meeting' with bandits

Refusing to believe that the Nigeria’s chief of army staff Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai could make a comment dismissing nation-wide apprehension by frightened Nigerians about phenomenal rise in insecurity, a pro-democracy group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) said it would amount to political sophistry for anyone to deny the realities of unprecedented state of insecurity all across Nigeria. The group said facts exist to show that virtually all families in Nigeria may have suffered one fatalities or the other from the incredible high levels of insecurity, anarchy and impunity that pervades the horizon just as it wonders from which indices the experienced and vastly patriotic Army Chief of staff is evaluating the state of security in the Country at the moment.

Besides, HURIWA faulted the reported parley between the speaker of the Federal House Of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila with armed bandits and hoodlums in Zamfara even as it describes the act of holding dialogue with armed insurgents by any government official as an act of high treason and one of the most serious crimes against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. HURIWA stated that state officials have sworn an oath on their honour to defend the Nigerian constitution just as the Nigerian constitution had in section 6 conceded the judicial powers of the federation on the Courts of competent jurisdiction meaning that crime suspects ought to be prosecuted and made to face the full wrath of the law and not to be applauded for their criminality just as the Rights group asserted that by provisions of section 4 the National Assembly ought to be concerned about making good laws for the peace and security of Nigeria and not for the Speaker or anyone for that matter to undermine the constitution by engaging in nocturnal dialogues with outlaws who have declared war against the people of Nigeria and against the Nigerian State. HURIWA asserted that the extant Terrorism Prevention (amendment) Act has oulawed and overruled the holding of such illegal consultations with terrorists and bandits.

The Rights group has therefore urged the Federal House of Representatives to impeach the speaker Mr Femi Gbajabiamila for reportedly holding this unholy communion with freelance armed bandits responsible for thousands of killings in Zamfara state and for waging war against the Nigeria state. The Rights group regretted that the Speaker was still battling to clear his name of the cocktail of allegations that he embezzled his clients cash of $25,000 in USA which reportedly led to his alleged debarment from practicing law in USA and here is the same man seen or reported to be holding meetings or said to have negotiated with mass killers with blood of innocent citizens in their filthy hands.

HURIWA in a media statement said if indeed the speaker as widely reported held a meeting with armed bandits in Zamfara state, he could as well schedule state by state visits to prisons across the country to begin dialogues with convicted criminals and kidnappers beginning with Evans the billionaire kidnapper so they are also granted amnesty since many of such convicted persons did not kill as much as the Zamfara bandits who have suddenly become the 'good boys' and play things of those in the corridors of power.

“The perfidy and a grave act of treachery against the Nigerian constitution also amounted to a desecration of the sacred oath of office sworn to by the speaker to uphold the sanctity of the Nigerian constitution just as HURIWA said irreparable damage would be done to the constitution should the speaker not be sanctioned”. The Rights group stated that since the report broke it waited for the Speaker to deny it but it would seem that the press may have written a true reflection of what happened unless otherwise contradicted with superior information to the contrary.

“Holding meetings with bloody killers and mass murderers is high treason and this show of legislative rascality and the celebration of impunity which the reported and alleged meeting between speaker Gbajabiamila and bandits represents have sent danger signals all around the globe that Nigeria is now an actively failed state”.

HURIWA cited the following plethora of sections of the constitution which the alleged meeting contravened: Section 1(1) states: “This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

Section 4(1)(2) states: “The legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be vested in a National Assembly for the

Federation, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives”.

“The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List set out in Part I of the Second Schedule to this Constitution.”

Section 33(1) states: “Every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria”.

Section 42(1)(2) states: “A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person:- (a) be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are not made subject; or (b) be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions”.

“No citizen of Nigeria shall be subjected to any disability or deprivation merely by reason of the circumstances of his birth”. HURIWA said it amounts to discriminaton for one set of criminals and terrorists to be treated with kid gloves whereas others are treated with sledge hammer because of their religion or ethnicity.

HURIWA recalled that speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila reportedly met bandits’ commanders and the volunteer local vigilance groups known as ‘Yan Sakai, the two groups responsible for banditry activities in Zamfara State.

As credited to a section of the media, Mr. Gbajabiamila described the dialogue and peace initiative of the Zamfara State government which brought together the two warring groups together at a round table as a great feat that would lead to everlasting peace in Zamfara State.

The speaker was speaking at the Government House, Gusau, while on a one-day working visit to Zamfara to ascertain the security problems in the state and meet stakeholders to seek lasting solutions to the ugly menace in the state.