A rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety, has accused South-East governors of doing nothing while herdsmen overrun the region.
It made the claim in an 8-page report released on Thursday, signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head, Intersociety, Chinwe Umeche, Head, Democracy and Good Governance, Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law and Engineer Ekene Bede Umeagu, Head, Religious Freedom and Human Rights.
It singled out Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra and Enugu governors, and said Abia was under watch.
According to Intersociety, thousands of people in the zone had paid the supreme price in the hands of the rampaging herdsmen.
The organization accused the governors of “silence of the graveyard or conspiracy of silence and inaction” in regard to increasing secret and unchecked herdsmen attacks in various communities across their States over the years.
“The totality of the above has endangered lives and properties and threatened their defenseless peoples’ fundamental human rights to ethnic and religious identities, including rights to be born, develop and live in a secured and protected environment.
“It must also be pointed out that many jihadist activities of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and allied others in Igbo Land States of Anambra, Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi under their gubernatorial watch are either rarely reported or covered and suppressed or censored under the watch.
“Several reports also abound exposing indiscriminate third-party land purchases for the Jihadists across the South-East by delegated persons or State/Federal Government remotely linked middle persons, including top Government officials or appointees or others close to their governments.
“The indictment of the four Governors is inclusive of the past and serving ‘Homeland Security Commissioners’ and ‘Special Advisers on Security’ or those in charge of ‘Community Security, Vigilante and Border Conflict Resolution Matters, appointed since assumption of office by the four indicted Governors,” the group alleged, voing to pursue visa ban for the government officials.
Meanwhile, Intersociety also claimed that over 40 detained traditional worshippers in Anambra had no case to answer in law.
It said the government had lost legal and moral grounds “to continue to detain without investigation, charge and trial of the over 40 detained traditional worshippers held illegally in an illegal detention facility (State Militias’ Lion House at Awka) for more than 60 days”.
Intersociety urged the Donald Trump Government of the United States of America to ensure that Nigeria is returned to the list of “Countries-of-Particular-Concern” for egregious abuse and violation of ‘International Religious Freedom’.
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