The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare armed herdsmen as terrorists.

The pro-democracy and non-governmental organization, in a statement issued by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, in Abuja, yesterday noted that several global bodies have already categorised armed herdsmen as one of the deadliest terrorist organisations in the world next to the Boko Haram terrorists in ferocity.

The statement said this was as a result of the degree of mass casualties of citizens from their many bloody violence unleashed on communities across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

The Rights group also wondered why President Buhari still don’t think these armed herdsmen are as deadly as terrorists.

HURIWA said: “After thorough consideration of the high levels of destruction of lives and property of Nigerians from all parts of the country, perpetrated by armed herdsmen, we believe that the best solution to these incessant invasions and attacks is for President Buhari to step up his approach and worldview of the seriousness of these trends and take concrete legal, security and logistical steps to militarily put an end to the persistent genocide by armed herdsmen by first and foremost declaring armed herdsmen as terrorists.
“This declaration should be taken as a declaratory readiness of this government to implement enduring and sustainable solutions to the incessant terror attacks by rogue armed herdsmen irrespective of whichever place they originate so long as their deadly attacks have often targeted our citizens.”

The Nigerian government had wielded the big stick on the pro-Biafra group, as the defence headquarters (DHQ) declared IPOB a “militant terrorist” organisation. South-east governors subsequently issued a statement, proscribing the group.

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The military subsequently came under severe criticism for the declaration, coupled with a statement credited to the Senate President Bukola Saraki, which described the action of the military and the governors as unconstitutional.

However, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, sanctioned the proscription, in a move that is aimed to take the heat off the army and to ensure that due process is followed, after which a federal high court in Abuja upheld the declaration.