Worried by the deteriorating state of security across the country made worse by the incessant blood cuddling attacks by the murderous gangs of armed Islamic terrorists in North-East Nigeria, resulting in the killing of undetermined number of innocent Nigerians, political office seekers have been advised to wear black arm-bands during campaign rallies, and scale down on the carnival nature of these outings, to honour the dead.

Besides, the democracy inclined non-governmental body, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), which gave the charge in a statement to the media, jointly authorised by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, also asked the Federal Government of Nigeria to officially request the United Nations Security Council and the African Union to set up special anti-terror armed fighters; drawn from a coalition of the willing to battle the armed terrorists in Northern Nigeria, who are constantly committing large-scale heinous crimes against humanity.

The group also wants Nigeria to withdraw from all peace-keeping missions globally so as to mobilise sufficient combat troops with the requisite state-of-the-art combat weaponry to battle these well-motivated terrorists who have annexed a large chunk of North-East Nigeria; and are committing series of gruesome human rights violations, including sexual enslavement of teenage girls. The association reasoned that it made no sense that Nigeria is contributing hugely to keep the peace in some nations that are relatively terrorism-free, when back home Nigeria as a sovereignty is gravely endangered by external and internal rebellious terrorists.

“Nigerian government must act decisively before more innocent people are wasted needlessly. Why does Nigeria belong to global organisations that will only engage in empty rhetoric on global media when armed terrorists are unleashing unprecedented violence of monumental proportion? Are the lives of Nigerians not worth preserving from these brutes?”

On the need for political campaigners to scale down on the celebratory mood of their current political events to canvass for popular support of the electorate at the February 14, 2015 polls, HURIWA asked political stakeholders to emulate the example of their counterparts in France, who have been operating in sober moods since the last three days that a Paris-based media house was viciously attacked by terrorists, who slaughtered over 17 French citizens, including 12 unarmed journalists.

“Seriously, Nigerian political office seekers should respect the dead and all those less fortunate Nigerians going through the grueling living condition, under constant bombardments by armed terrorists. Why should those seeking to govern Nigerians show so much disrespect by wearing flamboyant dresses of colourful designs dancing on the soap boxes, when only some miles away thousands are murdered in their sleep? Please, show small respect by putting on black arm-bands, and observe several minutes of silence to honour these Nigerians killed by terrorists.”

•Photo shows Onwubiko.

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