Military working with Arewa youths, must reverse declaration on IPOB – HURIWA

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has advised the Nigerian military to review the labeling of IPOB as a terrorist organisation.

HURIWA on Saturday lamented that the military has “increasingly become anti-democratic and assuming legislative powers”, alleging that its hierarchy was working in conjunction with Arewa youths.

HURIWA said both section 4 of the Constitution of Nigeria and section 6 recognised the National Assembly as the body to exercise legislative powers of the federation and the judicial powers of the Federation.

It described the pronouncement on IPOB as a terrorist group as a charade and a plot to initiate violent crackdown on the members of this substantially unarmed and peaceful group.

The Rights group warned that the military institution as a creation of the law must not be permitted to grow wings and become an omnibus vehicle that would ride roughshod on the democratic and constitutional rights of associations and groups to operate as strictly non-violent and peaceful bodies.

HURIWA said by the Constitutional provision, only the Courts of competent jurisdictions or the legislative chambers of the Nigerian National Assembly under the relevant provisions of the Constitution, can make pronouncements on which groups can be categorised as terrorist organisations.

In a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the Media Affairs Director Miss ZainabYusuf, HURIWA said the attempt by Major General John Enenche of the Defence Headquarters to confer on his office the powers of judicial or legislative authorities by unilaterally declaring the Europe-registered group as a terrorist group is unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary, null and void.

“We reject this coup plot against the constitutional rights of citizens to join associations freely and to assemble peacefully,” it read.

“The illegal pronouncement of the Defence Headquarters that IPOB is a terrorist organisation shows that the Defence authority is working in tandem with the AREWA YOUTH coalition which had recently canvassed the declaration of IPOB as a terrorist group.

“The military must be stopped from attempting to imprison a huge number of Igbo youth only because they are seeking to enjoy their rights to self determination which is authorised by all international laws.

“This Defence Headquarters will one day pronounce any town union as terrorist organisation the moment the group opposes the government of the day. This dictatorship must be uprooted immediately and comprehensively defeated.

“Has the DHQ complied with the appropriate procedure in declaring IPOB a terrorist organization? What is the legal and operational implication of this declaration? What is “acts of terrorism” in the circumstances of this Law?”, the statement quipped.


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  1. You this so-called human rights how many retiries do we have in Nigeria?? ? Can you mention how many people did you help to get their pension funds or even gratuity? When the terrorists ipob members start attacking innocent citizens and killed them you kept quite, and said they did a good thing, those who were killed don't they have a right to live and do their business??? . You are smelling ethnically and bias

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    1. @Msheliza Muktari Zali, what has befallen Nigeria is quite unfortunate. Now you have become vocal and happy because the north has used the Nigeria Army to complete their plan, which was 'Tag IPOB a Terrorist Organization so that they will stop or drop their agitation. If you are really sane, you will know that the Military does not have a single power to declare a group or organization a terrorist group. This shows your level of competence and intelligence. You guys plan from morning till night, yet to execute becomes a problem. What a hopeless, stupid and useless plan. Whoever planned this attack on the IPOB and South Eastern States of Nigeria is a daft and should be asked to resign.
      Now read this;
      1. HURIWA said by the Constitutional provision, only the Courts of competent jurisdictions or the legislative chambers of the Nigerian National Assembly under the relevant provisions of the Constitution, can make pronouncements on which groups can be categorised as terrorist organisations.2.On March 1, 2017, the Honourable Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako of the federal high court, Abuja declared in her ruling that IPOB is not an unlawful society/organisation.
      “Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako gave her judgment having studied the conditions for an organisation to be deemed unlawful as stipulated in section-62 of CAP C38 L.F.N. 2004.
      3.According to the Terrorism Acts, 2011, what constitute the “acts of terrorism” are given in the terrorism (prevention) Act of 2011, where “section 2 stipulated that only a judge can declare an organisation proscribed based on proven case of acts of terrorism and such case will be presented to the judge through an application made by the attorney-general or the national security adviser or the inspector general of police with the approval of the president. The judge’s declaration will thereafter be gazetted”.
      4.Truth is that all the key positions are headed by Northerners, yet the continue to commit blunders on daily basis. I would want to ask you a question? Have you ever asked yourself why all cases filled by Federal Government, EFCC, DSS, and other government agencies do not come or turn out positive for the Federal Government and Nigeria at Large, It is because The Attorney General and Minister For Justice is a complete DAFT. An unintelligent Lawyer who has never won any meaningful case before becoming Attorney General. Same goes to the President. Their brains are empty. Today it is EFCC Vs. Attorney General, Tomorrow, it is Mamman Daura Vs. Aisha Buhari and so on and so forth. Does this not tell you that God is at work here. Confusion everywhere in Buhari's government. Cant you see that the Federal Government has committed another blunder because they are in a hurry to unleash their evil plans on the Igbos. Now tell me what other strategy do they have or will they come up with to quench this fire having made an illegal and unconstitutional statements and unguided utterances? I mean, I am so disappointed in the way the Presidency goes about certain things in this country. Just behaving like elementary school pupil, or is that the way all northerners behave?

      With these, I rest my case.

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