BY LEVI JOHNSON
The coalition of the Nigerian Indigenous National Alliance for Self-determination has written to the Governments of the United States, Britain, France, Russia, Germany, and other top European and Western Countries to stop the sales of arms to Nigeria.
The coalition explained that the previous arms sold to the Buhari-led regime with borrowed funds have found their way into the hands of herdsmen, Boko Haram, ISIS, and other terrorists that are currently terrorising the Indigenous people of the South and Middle Belt of Nigeria.
Communications manager to NINAS, Mr Maxwell Adeleye, who made in a statement seeks heavy sanctions on the Nigerian Government for undermining democracy and continuously abusing human rights.
NINAS is the umbrella body of leading regional Self-determination Groups in the South and Middle Belt of Nigeria with Ilana Omo Oodua representing the Yoruba bloc, Lower Niger Congress representing the South-South and South East, and Middle Belt Forum representing the Middle Belt bloc.
The CFM signatories who wrote the petition to the US Government and European Countries, according to the statement included a renowned Historian, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, former President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo; respected Varsity Don, Prof. Yusuf Turaki, Secretary-General of NINAS, Barr. Tony Nnadi, Pioneer Commissioner for Education in Osun State and National Chairman of Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Wale Adeniran, amongst others.
Part of the letter read, “We the people of the South and Middle Belt under the aegis of Nigerian Indigenous National Alliance for Self-determination call on you to sanction the government of Nigeria for undermining democratic ethics and abusing people’s rights to live; to own property; to liberty; to dignity; to peaceful assembly and to self-determination.
“The Arms being sold to the Nigerian Government with funds borrowed from your territory are now being used to kill, oppress, harass, intimidate and strangulate harmless protesters and defenceless people of the South and Middle Belt of Nigeria who is exercising their rights to self-determination and peaceful assembly.
“Boko Haram Terrorists, Fulani herdsmen, and Bandits are now maiming, harassing, and killing our people on the roads and in their farmlands with same arms and ammunitions bought from your countries with impunity.
“Today, peaceful protest is an aberration in Nigeria. Opposition voices are now being arrested and caged behind the bar for demanding good governance and their inalienable right to self-determination.
“Freedom of speech is now an essential commodity in Nigeria. The leadership of Nigeria is now censoring the media to prevent free speech to alert the world to the ongoing genocide. Social Media is now under threat in Nigeria.
“We appeal to you, in the interest of peace-loving people of the South and Middle Belt of Nigeria to halt further sale of Arms to the Nigerian Government until the country surrenders the sovereignty of the people back to them.
“For the record, our cardinal demand as a group is for the Nigerian Government to function as the transitional government while a United Nations supervised referendum is organised so the people can exercise their self-determination right and end to unitary Nigeria which has been turned into an apartheid state.
“We demand unconditional abolition of 1999 Constitution of Nigeria which we have shown to be a fraud perpetrated against the people of the South and Middle Belt of Nigeria given that the people did NOT make it.”
