HURIWA: Mercenaries behind deadly attack on Abia cattle market

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has blamed members of the deep state and foreign mercenaries for executing the vicious attacks on the Abia State cattle market so as to instigate the killings of Ndigbo living in the far North and to spread civil conflicts between Ndigbo and their Northern brethren.

HURIWA made the assertion while reacting to the Tuesday, February 15, 2022 midnight attack by unknown hoodlums at the newly established Omumauzor cattle market in Ukwa West local government area of Abia State.

Traders at the Aba Abattoir cattle market were recently relocated to Omumauzor Abattoir in the wake of the tragic accident which saw a full loaded trailer ram into the market and killing several persons, leaving others injured.

Gunmen struck at the Omumauzor cattle market Tuesday night unleashing mayhem on the hapless traders, killing eight person and cattle in the attack.

HURIWA has urged the hierarchy of Igbo leaders to carry out investigation into the attack which it believes was aimed at pitching the North against Ndigbo.

“We urge the OHANAEZE NDI IGBO, Governors of the South East of Nigeria and the World Igbo Congress to jointly hire forensic and security experts and investigators from any part of the world to uncover the exact identities of the so-called unknown gunmen who the Rights group believed are members of the security forces or foreign mercenaries hired by Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association angered by the anti-open grazing legislations in the South East and are now on a mission to start off a civil war by attacking peaceful cattle owners just so the North will boil in anger and to transfer the aggression and reprisals on peaceful Igbo citizens of Nigeria living legitimately with their Northern brothers/sisters.

“We appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to be a statesman and douse the rising tension by releasing the wrong lyrics detained leader of the now proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and initiate broad-based National reconciliation and constructive dialogues among ethnicities to promote National integration and unity in Nigeria.

“HURIWA believes that the ill-advised decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to clamp down militarily on the Indigenous People of Biafra is the fundamental cause of the security crisis in the South East because diverse groups with divisive agenda are now seeking to stoke up the embers of disunity.

“The video recording of some of the attackers are everywhere. We do not think the Eastern Security Network or the now proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) are responsible for the Abia attacks. We believe even strongly that FIFTH columnists are out to destabilize South East of Nigeria,” a statement by the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, read in part.

HURIWA explicitly alleged that the “South East of Nigeria was under attacks by outsiders who want to cash in on the nebulous anti-cow posture of IPOB to attack Northerners in the East so as to achieve their dare-devil agenda and the silence and willful inability of Nigeria’s security forces to uncover who the unknown gunmen are points to a larger conspiratorial plots against the South East of Nigeria by enemies of the Igbos,” the statement added.

HURIWA recalled that the Abia State Government had confirmed the reported attack by yet-to-be identified gunmen on the newly constructed cattle market in Omumauzor in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state.

An unspecified number of people were reportedly killed during the deadly attack that occurred late Tuesday evening.

In its reaction, the state government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Eze Chikamnayo, condemned the attack and disclosed that investigations by security agencies have been launched to unravel those behind the dastardly act.

HURIWA, has however, asked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to rally round the rest of the political leaders of the South East of Nigeria to launch intensive manhunt of those responsible for the spate of orchestrated violence which is aimed at destroying all of South East of Nigeria.

The rights group has appealed to all aggrieved persons in the South East of Nigeria to consider the need to promote peaceful co-existence always and tasked groups in the North to stop sensationalising the unfortunate attacks in Abia State cattle market.

“The Igbo man and woman are the most peaceful and hospitable citizens and are not known for carrying out bloody violence on their visitors who live amongst them. The Northerners living in the East are like every Igbo person and so the Igbos respect the sanctity of life,” HURIWA said.