The Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has upbraided the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, for the failure of the Zamfara State Police Command to prevent the systematic massacre of scores of Nigerians by armed hoodlums suspected to be armed robbers that reportedly invaded, raided Kizara village in Tsafe local government yesterday.

The group has also asked President Goodluck Jonathan to act fast in bringing about comprehensive and effective reforms of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) “to re-energise this security institution to deliver its constitutional mandate of protecting lives and property of Nigerians.”

HURIWA in a statement issued today in Abuja mourned the about 50 innocent souls killed in Tsafe, describing the massacre as “a clear sign that Nigeria no longer has effective, result-oriented and combat-ready policing institution.” According to the statement signed by HURIWA National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Director of Media Affairs, Miss. Zainab Yusuf, said that “this ugly scenario must compel the National Assembly’s constitution amendment committee to insert a provision in the forthcoming Federal Constitution creating state and local police to provide efficient security to Nigerians.”

The rights group wondered how many more innocent Nigerians would be wasted “before the Presidency implements all the extant revolutionary recommendations for the immediate and total reforms and transformation of the dying Nigeria police Force.”

“For the umpteenth time, we use the media of mass communication to appeal to the conscience of President Goodlluck Jonathan to take functional measures to reform the decadent Nigerian police that has failed spectacularly to protect lives and property of Nigerians,” HURIWA said.

The rights group lamented further: “In the last 14 years that democracy returned, Nigerians of all status have made it loud and clear that Nigeria’s democracy cannot survive if the security of lives and property of the citizenry cannot be guaranteed. How come that humongous public fund are spent to run the Nigerian Police Force that has turned out as the World’s most incompetent and unprofessional policing institution.

“We hereby condemn in totality, the gruesome decimation by suspected armed robbers, of over 50 innocent villagers of Kizara in the North Western State of Zamfara. We also demand the immediate sack of the Inspector General of Police and the Zamfara State commissioner of police for this show of shame of failing to stop this bizarre massacre of the innocent.”

•Photo shows Police IG, MD Abubakar.

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