The Nigerian Intervention Movement has told President Muhammadu Buhari to sack all heads of security agencies in the country as they have failed in their task of securing the country, especially the continued killings by Fulani herdsmen.
The position of NIM was contained in a letter it sent to President Buhari on the security situation in the country.
The letter, signed by the Co-Chairmen of the body, Dr. Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa and Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), also told Nigerians to go all out to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards so as to vote for young Nigerians to run the country from 2019.
In the letter, dated April 27, 2018, the NIM said it was concerned that rather than abate, the killings were getting worse.
The letter reads in full:
GRAND COALITION OF NIGERIA INTERVENTION MOVEMENT
NATIONAL SECRETARIAT,
FCT, ABUJA
DATE: Friday 27th April 2018
TO: PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR
ASO VILLA,
FCT, ABUJA
Dear Mr President,
BEFORE THE BUBBLE BURSTS: STEM THE DESCENT OF THE COUNTRY INTO CIVIL WAR NOW!
AN OPEN LETTER CONCERNING THE WELFARE AND SECURITY OF NIGERIANS UNDER YOUR WATCH.
Your Excellency, Greetings!
The Nigeria Intervention Movement NIM and all our leaders across the country are completely numbed by the dastardly killings that have turned Benue State and other States like Plateau, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Kogi amongst others in the federation into killing fields (of sorts) under your watch.
From the early hours of the eve of Christmas of 2017, when gunmen suspected to be herdsmen militia stormed Odonto-Akpa in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State to the gory images that became New Year’s day presentation of blood of innocent Nigerians to the nation by the same herdsmen militia in Guma-these mindless murders; maiming and arson have now become a daily nightmare too many for Nigerians to bear any longer.
Sir, it may interest you to note that these unabated killings under your leadership, which today appear to be sinisterly conceived and executed over a period of time, first drew national and international attention following the serial mass murders and sacking of nearly the whole of Agatu LGA in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
The massacres by the herdsmen militias are really unabating because in this particular week alone, these killings have become daily occurrences with the number of casualties in double digits!
Below is a chronicle of the attacks and the casualties in this week alone:
Tuesday, April 24, 2018 19 worshippers including 2 Catholic Priests were murdered at Ayar Mbalom village in Gwer West LGA of Benue State
Wednesday, April 25, 2018, 39 people were murdered in the early morning of April 25, 2018 in 3 Council Wards namely, Mbadwen, Saghev and Mbawa of Guma LGA of Benue State with over 160 houses razed down with crops of yet to be ascertained cost.
Thursday, April 26, 2018 the herdsmen militia again attacked African Church, Mbamondo Ukemberagya in Logo LGA of Benue in the early hours of the day leaving 7 dead in their trail.
Similarly, just last week, precisely on Thursday, April 19, 2018, in Naka, the headquarters of Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue state, houses and other properties were razed to the ground by people who the locals insisted were personnel of the Nigerian Army. The heavily armed personnel burnt to death a 75 year old man, Late Pa Avuu Iorna and while he was roasting to death these men prevented anyone from going to his aid! They also claimed they were told by those soldiers pointedly that they were carrying out the mission as a reprisal against the killing of one of their colleagues, an accusation similar to the one made in Agatu, where the people had earlier accused the military of simply supervising the taking over of their land for grazing by herdsmen.
Mr President, we are indeed perturbed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria and indeed the entire security and intelligence architecture under your command, have always watched helplessly or conspiratorially as these killings are carried out even during military Operations, such as the one tagged “Ayem Akpatuma” (Operation Cat Race).
Sadly, the involvement of persons in Army uniforms at Naka against the backdrop of recent allegations by Elder Statesman, former Chief of Army Staff and former Minister of Defence, Dr Theophilous Danjuma, that the Armed Forces were colluding with the herdsmen militia in what he termed as a genocidal ethnic cleansing mission, has today reinforced and given impetus for self- help and defence in the middle belt region of Nigeria.
The implication of the embrace of self defence is that the middle belt people appear to have lost faith in the Security and Intelligence Agencies. This is a very sad and dangerous trend that must be arrested without delay as it is a clear signpost to the beginning of civil strife in the country.
Your Excellency could not have forgotten the Tiv Riots of 1960 – 1964 which was one of the series of events that sign posted the descent of the nation into the human misery from the 30 months of avoidable civil war and bloodletting between 1967 to 1970.
This is so, because, such sense of complete distrust in the security forces may invariably lead the people to consider arming themselves to be able to effectively defend themselves against these mysterious herdsmen militia. It will interest you to know that this call for self-defence is becoming more stringent even in regions like the South East, South-West and South-South.
We of NIM are therefore seriously concerned and worried that efforts, including military operations, by the Federal Government, to arrest this ugly situation have continuously failed. Consequently, in the light of the foregoing, we hereby wish to recommend the following to the Federal Government of Nigeria:
1. Change the leadership of Nigeria’s entire security and intelligence infrastructure as they have failed in coming up with strategies for dealing with the situation. However, in appointing the new leadership, Government should be sensitive to the heterogeneous nature and diversity of Nigeria particularly our ethnic, religious and regional peculiarities and reflect same in the new appointments to engender the lost confidence and trust of Nigerians
2. Implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference particularly the recommendations relating to restructuring of the Federation to prevent further conflicts and instability in the country
3. Redeploy police officers from the rank of Commissioners to Constables to their States of Origin as an interim measure to douse the suspicion of collusion with herdsmen militia.
4. Allow States to commence preparation for having their own state police. In this regard, the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly should as a matter of urgent national importance commence specific review of the Constitution to reflect this new position.
5. Take steps urgently to ameliorate the misery of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the middle belt region and other parts of the country. Many of these IDPs (now numbering over 500,000 especially in Benue state and others are in a number of camps scattered around the geo-political zone, while many more now live with relatives in various towns and villages as most homes are now over-crowded with the possibility of outbreak of diseases; Food, medicines, mattresses and blankets have also become immediate needs of these IDPs. Hence, there is the urgent need for your government to help reconstruct their houses as the rains are already here.
6. Cooperate with State Governments in finding a lasting solution to the ordeal of their various peoples despite the misgivings their indigenes may hold against your administration as this will help to neutralise their suspicion which appears to be widespread at the moment.
7. Embark on massive sensitization and awareness creation as regards the efforts being made by Government to deal with the scary situation. The sensitization can be carried out in conjunction with the National Orientation Agency (N.O.A.), in highlighting the benefits of peaceful coexistence in our society.
8. Support state governments towards coordinating efforts at Local levels to ensure that there are no reprisals in any form particularly following the inciting attacks on churches which appear to have changed the character and dimension of the ongoing massacre.
9. Work with and Engage Religious Leaders in the various States and especially the Christian Leaders to effectively resist the temptation of interpreting these attacks as a declaration of religious war but rather, to appeal to Christians in the states to refuse to consider the attacks as an attempt by any particular religion to overwhelm them in the state, so as to ensure the cooperation of religious leaders in intelligence gathering to stem the outbreak of civil war in the country.
10. Curtail and monitor the activities of the Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN and Miyetti-Allah Kauta Hore by exposing and prosecuting suspected killer herders among the groups as advised by recently by the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido.
Finally, we of the emergent Grand Political Coalition initiated by Nigeria Intervention Movement do hereby wish to reaffirm our resolve to intensify the mobilisation of all Nigerians of voting age towards procuring their Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) for the purpose of electing fresh breed political leaders that will see every Nigerian, no matter the tongue and tribe, as their compatriot. Reject leaders who manipulate and divide us and plan to steal our collective patrimony at the 2019 elections.
NIM believes that the only way that we can all collectively defeat those who wish to push the nation into an avoidable civil war, which Nigeria may not survive is to continue to believe in the things that bind us together.
To this end, NIM wishes to reiterate here that the present insecurity and poverty in our dear country, is a passing phase occasioned by long-standing maladministraion and irresponsible leadership and a compromised political elite. Our historical mission therefore is to usher in good governance and mass prosperity for all Nigerian citizens as our power is our vote in this regard.
Rather than agonise, we have resolved to organize in giving to ourselves and our children a better Nigeria through our PVC driven, ballot based Revolution in 2019.
Thank You Sir.
Signed
Dr Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa
Co-Chairman
Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN
Co-Chairman
On Behalf of:
Grand Coalition of Nigeria Intervention Movement.
