HRW urges Nigerian govt to stop Boko Haram terror
In the wake of an upsurge in deadly attacks by the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, Human Rights Watch is calling on the Nigerian government to put a halt to the campaign of terror and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Boko Haram, which locally means “Western Education is a sin,” has stepped up their attacks on civilian and security targets around Nigeria in recent times, with the latest bombings and shootings in the northern state of Kano killing at least 185 people.
“Boko Harah’s attacks show a complete and utter disregard for human life,” said HRW West Africa researcher Corine Dufka.
But what really is the Nigerian government not doing that is causing the extremist group to inflict so much damage? And what does Human rights group think is responsible for the escalation of the carnage in Nigeria?
In an interview with WADR on Wednesday, HRW’s Deputy Program Director Babatunde Olugboji outlined several steps the Nigerian government needed to take to ensure the safety of its citizens.
“We need to look at it from a multifaceted perspective. There are a few things that the Nigerian police need to be doing, there are a few things the Nigerian government needs to support the police in doing in terms of training, in terms of ensuring the police know that there are some things they can do or cannot do, in terms even of funding the police properly; and the judiciary do what they suppose to do in terms of the due process, etc,” Olugboji said.
HRW said it has been cataloguing attacks by suspected Boko Haram member over the past two year and that attacks have been carried out mainly in the north, but also in the capital, Abuja and 10 other Nigerian cities.
Click audio below to listen to the full text of WADR Frank Sainworla’s interview with Babatunde Olugboji.
In another development, Nigeria’s Federal government on order of President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday evening was st to hold an emergency National Council of State Meeting to discuss ways of cracking down on the carnage being inflicted on innocent civilians by Boko Haram.
The Council, which is the highest decision making body in the Country, comprises the President, past Presidents and Heads of State of Nigeria.
The president is constitutionally obliged to inform the Council in order to obtain ratification on some critical executive decisions the central government may like to take.
WADR’s Abuja Correspondent says the Council was likely due to have evaluated the decision to invite the United States Military to assist in the current state of insecurity in the Country.
As the Executive council meeting was taking place, Nigerian security forces announced that they had arrested 158 suspected Boko Haram members in Kano, during which two persons were reportedly killed.
At the same time, there were reports of fresh bomb and gun attacks on a police station in Kano Tuesday night.
