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Insecurity: Change Security Chiefs Before It’s Too Late, Group Tells Buhari

Published

2 years ago

December 12, 2021

Editor

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rejig the internal security architectures of the country to reflect federal character.

HURIWA made the call against the backdrop of killings by terrorists in the Northern part of Nigeria.

The right group said religious and ethnic bigotry by security heads was responsible for killings and terrorism in Nigeria.

A statement by HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko reads: “Following the serial blood cuddling butcher and slaughter by terrorists in the North West of Nigeria of civilians including travellers and the persistent failures of intelligence gathering capacity of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a call has gone to the President and Commander-In-Chief President Muhammadu Buhari to rejig, reorganise and reshape the internal security operations especially the hierarchies to reflect the Federal CHARACTER Principle as enshrined in section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

“HURIWA believes that religious and Ethnic bigotry by heads of the internal security operations is why there are a lot of terrorism and killings by armed non state actors aided by serving members of the armed forces.

“Specifically, Section 14 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria said thus: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

HURIWA accused Buhari of being a habitual abuser of this law by not only concentrating strategic internal security appointments to Muslims but “he even violated with ignominy the law in making top two appointments into the Federal Character Commission which is an agency to address Federal character issues.”

The group tasked Buhari and the National Assembly to investigate the allegations that the Nigerian Army and Air force deliberately began uncoordinated and poorly executed military actions against terrorists hibernating in Zamfara State and deliberately created escape routes for them to escape the theatre of fire into Sokoto State where they are now transferring their unjust aggression to target civilians and innocent citizens.

The statement added: “It’s shocking that for over six years, President Muhammadu Buhari refused to listen to the voice of reason and stop the religious and Ethnic bigotry which characterised the formation of the heads of the entire agencies of government in charge of internal security operations, thereby allowing only Muslims and mostly Hausa/Fulani to head strategic internal security operations as the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Immigration, the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Correctional Centre and the Nigerian Police Force and a South West fanatical Moslem heading the ministry of internal Affairs.

“It is disheartening that the heads of Department of State Services and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency are all headed by Fulani Muslims but yet sophisticated weapons have flooded into Nigeria from the North and these officers perfectly pretended not to know what they are doing whilst terrorists have overwhelmed the entire North, but it took pressures for the government to lazily proceed to the Federal High Court to belatedly classify these suspected Fulani armed militia in the North West as terrorists.

“Why is President Muhammadu Buhari comfortable and sleeping peacefully whilst Nigeria is turned upside down by killers and all kinds of armed non state actors and the Muslim-controlled internal security architectures that have failed and indeed compromised against national security are left intact in their offices as if the government is actually happy that blood is flowing all over the nation? Mr. President, sack these incompetent officers who cannot protect Nigerians. These persons are delegitimising your administration because any administration that is unable to defend the defenceless is a fraud.

“HURIWA is asking the President to appoint qualified Nigerians from all religions and ethnicities to man the internal security operations of Nigeria because empirical evidence now shows that the all Muslim-internal security team have acted like compromised bunch of Islamists who have permitted the infiltration and flooding of Nigeria by all kinds of armed bandits, terrorists and Islamists and it seems these bunch of killers are waging Jihad in Nigeria against Christians whilst a few of them are engaged in the terrorist acts of kidnapping of civilians and destruction of communities”.

(DAILY POST)

Headline

32-year-old Nigerian Doctor Killed In US, Father Mourns

Published

12 mins ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

A 32-year-old Nigerian doctor, Uzochukwu Davis Igboanugo, has been killed by a drunk driver in the United States of America.

Uzochukwu, the son of prominent Igbo businessman, Chief I.K.B. Igboanugo, the founder of I.K.B Industries Limited, was killed while driving home after work three weeks ago.

The grieving father who confirmed the tragic incident in a Facebook post on Monday, May 13, 2024, said the drunk driver fell asleep at the wheel while speeding on the highway and rammed into his son’s car.

He described his son as a very happy, intelligent, friendly, caring, nice and loving boy.

“I lost my son 3 weeks ago, I have been crying like a baby. A medical doctor ( Ophthalmologist) in America,” Chief Igboanugo wrote.

His post reads further: “An accident victim of a drunkard who fell asleep while speeding on the highway, jumped his lane in the opposite direction and hit with speed force on the driver’s side door where my son was as he was driving home after work.

“We can’t question God as He has the final decision.

“Always pray as a parent not to loose any of your child irrespective of his behaviour because loss of a child can kill any parent.

“Uzochukwu my son was a very nice boy, always happy, intelligent, friendly, caring, loving, sociable etc.

“He was 32yrs old, not yet married despite my nagging, he sacrificed all his time and achieved Ophthalmology which is a very difficult medical course in the history of reading medicine to become a medical doctor.

“Since his death I have been going through mental and psychological trauma as my doctor has been warning me.

“My wife also has not been her self. Pls don’t wish your worst enemy this type of tragedy, now I pray for anybody who has not lost his child never to experience it. It is hellish and a disaster.

“Uzochukwu my son you are now in God’s bosom and working for Him that was why he took you this early. As your soul will rest in God’s bosom in Jesus name.”

Headline

Miss USA Teen 2023 Runner-up Declines Title After Winner Stepped Down

Published

19 mins ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

The news comes after a shocking beauty pageant scandal, which saw both Miss USA 2023 and Miss Teen USA 2023 announcing that they were resigning within days of each other amid reports of bullying and harassment.

Miss USA Noelia Voigt, 24, first shared her surprise resignation via Instagram, explaining that she wanted to focus on her “physical and mental well-being.”

It was then followed by 17-year-old Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava announcing she too was stepping down because her personal values “no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”

Now, Miss New York Teen USA Stephanie, 19, who was the first runner-up of the Miss Teen USA pageant, has revealed that she was offered the crown but ultimately refused it because she can’t “give up [her] character.”

Stephanie, 19, told People in an interview published May 13: “I worked so hard and sacrificed so much for this goal to become Miss Teen USA and although this title was a dream of mine, I believe one thing I will never give up is my character.”

While the Miss New York Teen USA admitted that it was an “extremely difficult” choice to make, she said she was confident that it was “the right decision.”

Stephanie’s rejection of the title arrives less than a week after UmaSofia, 17, shared that she was leaving behind her Miss Teen USA role in the wake of Miss USA 2023 winner Noelia Voigt’s resignation.

“After careful consideration,” UmaSofia wrote in a May 8 Instagram post, “I’ve decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”

Her statement further adds to the speculation about the dark underbelly surrounding the pageant.

“Hi everyone. As many of you know, on August 6, 2023, I was crowned Miss New York Teen USA 2023,” Stephanie wrote on Instagram on Sunday, May 12.

She went on to note that she had put “every ounce of [her] being” into achieving her dream of winning and “sacrificed” many things in her life.

The 19-year-old explained that her life changed when she was awarded Miss Teen USA runner-up and was given the opportunity to take up the crown when UmaSofia stepped down.

She added: “In light of recent events, I have decided to decline the title of Miss Teen USA 2023. This was not an easy decision. I hope for respect of my choice as this was a decision I never asked to make. My word is my everything.”

In her announcement, Stephanie made her opinions on the previous winners extremely clear as she noted that she stood with them.

“In addition, although I don’t know what Uma and Noelia went through to lead them to resign, I am sending them immense love and support. What I do know is that my core values are integrity, honor, kindness, and most importantly, I will always stand for female empowerment,” she said.

Headline

Columbia University Student Rips US Diploma At Commencement Ceremony In Solidarity With Palestine

Published

26 mins ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

A Columbia student has ripped up her diploma during a graduation ceremony, in a pro-Palestinian protest.

Tarsis Salome, a Columbia social work graduate, tore up her certificate while on stage, after weeks of protests at the university over investments linked to Israel.

Other students zip-tied their hands and showed pro-Palestinian signs.

This action by the students comes a fortnight after police were brought in to disband the occupation of a university building and close down an “encampment” on one of the institution’s lawns.

Columbia opted for a smaller graduation ceremony, cancelling its usual university-wide event, in anticipation of more protests.

A university spokesman said that ceremonies would be held at a sports complex five miles from the campus, due to security concerns.

Columbia, one of the elite group of Ivy League colleges, became the epicentre of a nationwide student protest movement last month, when students pitched tents on the university’s South Lawn.

The protest was copied at other institutions across the world, including Oxford and Cambridge, before being closed down by police.

Baroness Shafik, the British-American peer who serves as Columbia’s president, has called for a “healing” process. She refused student demands for Columbia to divest from Israel companies and cancel a planned foreign centre in Tel Aviv.