Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria, HURIWA, has accused the federal government of using a routine media propaganda in the case of the terrorists who killed over 50 Catholic church worshippers in Owo, Ondo State.
The rights group said the public celebration by the government of the nabbing of the suspected terrorists in the Owo Ondo State genocide inside the Catholic Church was not the main issue because the government has failed to. arrest perpetrators and deliberately refused to prosecute the ones that were arrested.
According to them, there is no guarantee that the Owo incident would be different noting that the last seven years, no significant efforts made by the government to arrest those who are behind the mass murderers across the country.
In a press statement issued and signed in Abuja on Tuesday by the national coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, he said “Government of President Muhammadu Buhari, has no good records of successfully prosecuting terrorists and Kidnappers, as he is only out there to deploy empty media propaganda to the gullible members of the public to believe that his actions are been adopted to deal with terrorists”.
HURIWA noted that the information by the Defence Chief that the terrorists who bombed the Catholic church in Owo Ondo State have been picked will remain in the realm of empty media propaganda until the government through the Federal Attorney General prosecutes and obtain conviction.
HURIWA recalled that the military high command has confirmed the arrest of Owo catholic church bombers. The arrest, according to the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Lucky Irabor was made possible by joint operations of all the security agencies. The CDS, who listed their names noted that the suspects, who are members of Islamic State of West Africa, ISWAP, are in custody. However, no specific figure of those arrested.
The rights group said 40 people were killed when the gunmen stormed the church on June 5, opened fire on the congregation, and also detonated explosives as the worshippers scampered for safety. Operatives of Amotekun Corps in Ondo State had earlier claimed they also arrested some suspects in connection with the killings.
Briefing journalists in Akure on June 23, the state Commander of Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, expressed assurance that all the attackers of the worship center would be apprehended. Adeleye, however, did not give the actual figure of the suspected terrorists arrested.
The statement pointed out that in the light of these inconsistencies and deliberate use of media propaganda to deceive Nigerians regarding the bombing of a packed Catholic Church in Owo Ondo State, HURIWA has told the military that their propaganda won’t work but what will work is efficient and effective crackdown on terrorists no matter their Ethno-religious affiliation.