Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has told the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to speak less about the ongoing terrorism in Nigeria or shut up totally.
HURIWA accused the minister of dishing out half-truths and propaganda which constitute grave threats to national security.
The human rights organisation described the appointment of Lai Mohammed by the current administration as a grave mistake and the very beginning of their problems.
HURIWA noted that Mohammed lacks public trust and does not stimulate public confidence, adding that if a referendum is to be conducted today within the media space of Nigeria it was very likely that almost 100% of those polled will give the feedback that information coming out from Lai Mohammed’s office is taken with pinch of salt.
“This is why he has to be stopped from pouring fuel into the crises of terrorists attacks tearing down on the Nigerian Societal fabrics,” HURIWA cautioned.
The group noted that most of the statements made by Mohammed concerning terrorists in the North West and North East carry the impression that the Federal Government has a lot to do with the terrorists.
HURIWA, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, wondered why Mohammed had to come out a few days after the Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor gave a stern warning to terrorists and dilute the warning by contradicting the military General.
General Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea Irabor had a few days back, handed down a stern rebuke to the terrorists by asserting that their days are numbered.
But the minister of Information came out to say that the terrain where bandits operate contributes to making security operations difficult and that the operations to bomb the terrorists may not be necessary to avoid killing innocent people.
“How can terrorists wiping out populations, raping girls, raping people’s wives, attacking airport, shooting down military jet and crashing a fast moving train with many innocent passengers killed be said to be innocents? Lai Mohammed surely has his own ‘meaning’ of innocence,” HURIWA said.
HURIWA, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ban Lai Mohammed from using public office to provide a morale boost to Islamic terrorists.
