Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has condemned the unprecedented killings of Imo State residents by both well-armed non-state actors and armed state actors.
HURIWA noted that killings in Imo State have become widespread and bloodied due to a failure of political leadership and the refusal of the state government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explore alternative peaceful, negotiated and non-kinetic methodologies of conflict resolution.
The group said the deadly bomb explosion at the Orlu international market on Tuesday, which killed scores of people was the clearest evidence that Imo State has sadly become the killing field of South-East Nigeria.
HURIWA called for comprehensive peaceful negotiations and an end to the systematic killings of citizens by both armed non-state and armed state actors.
DAILY POST reports that the police in Imo State confirmed a bomb explosion in the state on Tuesday night.
The explosion reportedly caused a stampede and confusion as people ran helter-skelter, leading to many being injured.
Many innocent bystanders and persons who were in the market for legitimate businesses were reportedly killed by the explosion.
HURIWA in its reaction called it an outrageous crime against humanity, condemning the political leaders in Imo State beginning with the governor, Hope Uzodinma, for failing to unify the people and convince the federal government to adopt the non-kinetic method of conflict resolution rather than the kinetic method that has turned Imo state to a killing field.
“The truth is that Imo State has since the last four years, degenerated from the peaceful place that it used to be, to a bloody killing field by both armed state and non-state actors.
“The main reason for these unrelenting killings in Imo State is the clear failure of public office holders in Imo State to bring all stakeholders and true representations of all the aggrieved groups together to concretely work for peace and progress of the state.
“Unfortunately the idea by the governments of Imo and central government, that military clampdown is the best solution to the violence in Imo State has led to more bloodshed. ”
HURIWA once more called on Igbo political, civil society, religious, and professional bodies, to unite under a single focal point of immediate restoration of tranquillity and economic growth in Imo State.
“There is an urgent need for genuine dialogues to be held. Political office holders of Imo state origin often do not operate from Owerri even when they ought to live in Imo state so they can leverage their platforms to unify Imo state people and work out implementable agreements for immediate cessation of conflicts and killings of Imo state people.,” the rights group added.
“We appeal to the Imo State governor to be a genuine peacebuilding leader and live in Owerri so that peace can be restored to Imo state by all means humanly possible and especially through genuine negotiations and peace agreements.”
