Civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has backed the criticism made by the governor of Plateau state, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang against the inability of the military to arrest or neutralise the terrorists that killed 27 farmers in Riyom Plateau state last week.

Similarly, the Rights group blamed the Nigeria Police Force for its persistent failures to prevent and detect crime of terrorism in Plateau State and the willful failure on the part of the police to arrest the terrorists so the justice ministry in partnership with the police can bring the killers to justice is a violation of relevant sections of the Police Act of 2020 on the powers and functions of the Nigeria Police Force.

HURIWA recalled that the Plateau State Government had expressed frustration with the Nigerian Army for failing to apprehend or neutralise the gunmen who killed 27 farmers in Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area, on Monday.

Adding its voice of solidarity and support, HURIWA said it is hypocritical that the military arrested alleged killers of soldiers in the same state but failed to either arrest or neutralise the terrorists who attacked a community within very close proximity to a military checkpoint.

"The Chief of Defence Staff or the Chief of Army Staff as the case may be, needs to constitute an internal investigative panel to look into this disturbing scenario that his armed operatives completely allowed terrorists to escape even when it was said that there were exchanges of gunfire between the military and the terrorists. We think that letting terrorists escape the wrath of the armed security forces is tantamount to sabotaging the internal security of Plateau state and this dereliction of duty affects the primary duty of government which is to protect the lives and property of the citizens," HURIWA said.

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