Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the Monday incident where an INEC office was burnt by hoodlums in Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State while stressing that the perpetrators are of the act are enemies of Igbos’ political interest.
The right group expressed dismay and total condemnation in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and made available to AFRIPOST on Monday.
The statement reads, “On the burning of INEC office in Enugu state and other burnt strategic government offices in southeast, we are expressing our dismay, total condemnation and we believe that this is a work of saboteurs who do not want Igbos to become politically relevant in Nigeria. We think that no sane Igbo man or woman will be part of a sinister plot to reduce the Igbo race to perpetual second fiddle in the political affairs of Nigeria- a Country which the Igbos contribute so much to build and sustain economically.
“It is surprising that the armed security services have so far been unable to track down these saboteurs over the last two years that the burning of Strategic National assets in the South East started.
This is a failure of intelligence on the part of security services paid heavily from tax payers money.
“We do also think that the apparent and sickening inaction of the security services to arrest those saboteurs maybe deliberate in order to cripple the wheel of political progress of south east in the Nigerian polity. The reason also is that all the Commissioners of Police, all the state directors of DSS and all the state directors of Nigerian Civil Defence corps are not indigenes of South East and so these other persons posted to Igboland do not love Igboland and often see themselves as occupiers and so wouldn’t work vigorously to preempt and prevent the sabotage of strategic National assets that are beneficial to Igbos such as INEC or security offices.
“We call on the southeast Governors to engage private forensic experts and criminologists to uncover the faces of these saboteurs independently since the Federal Government’s controlled security system is sabotaging the South East because the Igbos are not at the level of command and control.
“Also why has the police in the southeast not have successfully prosecuted one of these cases of burning strategic government offices in southeast by these political saboteurs? Why are the police unwilling to go after these real enemies of Igbos?
“We think that some fifth columnists have been hired by external forces to undermine the renewed vigour and determination to register and participate in the forthcoming election. Those sponsoring these burnings of INEC offices are scared of the coming rector’s revolution because they prefer to maintain the status quo ante bellum that has rendered Nigeria prostrate economically.
“Those who are burning INEC offices do not want Igbos to vote come 2023 and these saboteurs are paid agents of haters of Igbos.
“This is a systematic hate crime that must be seriously tackled with every might and resources that can be mustered by the South Eastern States and the elites”.
HURIWA recalled that hoodlums have burnt down the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on Sunday night when the arsonists stormed the office situated at the council’s headquarters in Ogurute.
Efforts to reach the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe proved abortive at press time.
However, our correspondent gathered that the state fire service could not put out the inferno until the entire building was razed down.
It was also gathered that parts of the local government had been under attacks recently by unknown gunmen wreaking havoc in the southeastern region.
Recall that the state government had recently imposed a 6 pm to 6 am curfew and banned commercial motorcyclists in the Igboeze North and its neighbouring Igboeze South LGAs.
HURIWA similarly applauded the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for taking preemptive measures to stem the tides of insecurity in Enugu State and we call on all Igbos to support the Enugu State governor.