The attention of Zamfara state government has been drawn to a publication on Sahara Reporters dated Aug 11, 2019 in which Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria acronymed HURIWA "slammed" His Excellency Governor Bello Matawalle for choosing to negotiate with bandits rather than opt for confrontational means.
It is rather paradoxical that a human right organisation with obviously no firsthand information about the happenings in Zamfara would choose to pokenose in an issue as complex as security. One question dangling in the air begging for answer is, where has HURIWA as a human right organisation been when Zamfara people were being maimed, raped, displaced and massacred? When has this ghost and pseudo human right association regained its voice? A human right association is the least expected group of people to exhibit such myopic thinking. It is thus ironic and unbecoming of an association by that name to snub at the conflict resolutions techniques employed by the Zamfara State governor to tackle the lingering security hiccup.
It is amazing that HURIWA which advocates for deproscription of IPOB is "slamming" Governor Matawalle for initiating truce with bandits.
It is an undisputable fact that the truce initiated by (Dr) Bello Matawalle has yielded positive results as 345 captives have been released unconditionally by the armed men. This success has never been recorded since 2011 when the crisis erupted.
The Zamfara State government did not just jump into its decision without indepth study of the situations. After hectic days of meetings with key stakeholders, different security outfits, from the National Police Headquarters, Abuja, meeting with the IG of police, meeting with the President Muhammad Buhari and the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, meeting with the Ex Minister of Defense, traditional leaders, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) leaders and CJTF and other key stakeholders, a fact stands out that the crisis has taken ethnic dimensions most especially after the creation of predominantly Hausa 'Yan Sa-Kai vigilante groups by the former governor.
The vigilante groups only made the situation worse by taking laws into their hands through extra judicial killing of the Fulani in market places. This only aggravated the already volatile situations breeding more inter-tribal enmity.
Moreover, it is obvious that the rural areas and nomadic settlements have been relagated educationally and economically and this situation creates an avenue for high rate of crimes. This informs the government's decision to provide schools, clinics and earth dams for them. Rural Grazing Areas (RUGA) will be established in each of the three senatorial zones on 100 hectres of land each with merged settlements.
The HURIWA's claim that that the reconciliatory approach would only strengthen the bandits clearly reflects lack of understanding of the whole process and situation. If the seven years' use of force didn't quell the bloodbath why should any right-thinking person stick to it?
It is worth taking into cognizance that by the use of force many criminals of necessity have been created in situations where innocent people were killed and their relatives join the bandit syndicate to engage in reprisal attacks against another settlements.
Nothing clearly reveals the evil intent of HURIWA than distorting the story of the prisoners freed by Governor Bello Matawalle as being all Fulanis. The fact is that the pardoned prisoners cut across all disputing parties and even others not involved in any violence like those detained on the grounds of debts, physically challenged inmates, and the aged. Some of the released inmates are not even from Zamfara. In the process of this kind gesture, Governor Bello Matawalle decided to strike a balance by freeing some non-Muslim prisoners.
This as preamble to an intricate security situation should make HURIWA have a rethink about the reconciliatory approach of the Zamfara state government. The association is at liberty to come to Zamfara State for firsthand assessments of the situation.
Ibrahim Bello Zauma
SSA NEW MEDIA
11/08/2019
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