HURIWA carpets Shettima, says poverty not responsible for terrorism, banditry in North

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), on Wednesday, carpeted Vice President Kashim Shettima for saying that the twin-war of terrorism and banditry in Northern Nigeria was “accentuated by poverty” and “social exclusion”.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said Shettima’s understanding of terrorism was warped, adding that terrorists were some of the richest and well-organised networks in the world.

The group said the Vice President was chasing shadows by blaming poverty for North West or North East terrorism as a poor man could not buy military grade weapon and other anti-aircraft missiles used to down Nigerian Air Force fighter jets in Zamfara, Borno and other insurgent-riddled states in northern Nigeria.

HURIWA further knocked Shettima for saying that “unless we want to engage in an endless war of attrition, there cannot be a military solution to the crisis in the northwest. There has to be a kinetic and non-kinetic solution”.

The Vice President was said to have made the comment in a chat with newsmen while on a condolence visit to Kano over the weekend, adding that a “Pulaku Solution” will be unveiled to end the decade-long terror menace in the country. Pulaku in Fulfude means brotherhood and helping the Fulani community.

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is so unfortunate that the ex-governor of Boko Haram-infested Borno State has limited understand of the dimensions of terrorism, especially in Nigeria. Terrorists are some of the richest and well-organised networks. The North West terrorists of Zamfara and Borno are not poor but they are members of international illegal mining networks with probably links to some rogues in China and Middle East.”

These same “poor” insurgents down a NAF jet on 18 July 2021, which led to its crash in Zamfara State. In April 2021, the Abubakar Shekau-led faction of Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a crash involving an alpha jet operated by NAF.

In many videos released by the terrorists, they were seen engaging NAF jets flying at low range in a gunfight. The insurgents were usually armed with machine guns, especially ones that seem to be anti-aircraft weapons.

In March 2021, ex-presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the Federal Government declared no-fly-zone in Zamfara State because private aircraft were being used to supply weapons to criminal gangs that kidnap for ransom. He also said the choppers were used to evacuate gold and illegally smuggled out of the country.

“Shettima is chasing shadows by blaming poverty for North West or North East terrorism. Can any poor man buy military grade weapon the terrorists deployed in Zamfara to shoot down a military jet?

“Also, the talk about using non-kinetic approach with the insurgents have expired and cannot work. All the deradicalisation and amnesty that Shettima, and other former and serving governors in Katsina, Zamfara and Borno gave to insurgents have not achieved any solution but worsened the situation.

“In July 2020, Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, kicked against the reintegration of ex-Boko Haram fighters into the society, saying that they would never repent. Just a little recently, Auwal Daudawa, a bandit leader in Zamfara, who masterminded the abduction of over 300 students in neighbouring Katsina State went back to the trenches about three months after his celebrated repentance.

“These are hardened terrorists extremely detrimental to the survival of Nigeria. Nigeria must not negotiate with them or use non-kinetic approach but frontal military firepower,” the HURIWA coordinator said.