* As less than one percent of arrested members face trial
*While innocent Critics, social commentators are tried for treason and treated like criminals.
By Ahmed Ahmadu * Isa Yusuf, Abuja
A mind boggling question seemed to have pervaded the country just days ago after the Publisher of the popular on line Newspaper and convener of the Revolution Nigeria Sowore Omoleye raised some pertinent question during his arraignment in the High court here in Abuja over the inhuman treatment been meted to him and other activist in comparison to what the govt dishes out to real killers and armed fighters like Boko Haram and Fulani headsmen in Nigeria,
Daily watch investigations seemed to have seriously confirmed the point raised by the Revolution Nigeria Today Convener as since the Coming of this administration running five years plus no serious cases has been brought against any of the several Boko Haram warlords and members scattered in the many detention centers in Nigeria jut as not one of the thousands of herdsmen also arrested all over the country for heineous crimes like their Boko Haram couter part have been taken before any court of laws as most are either secretly released after so much news and noise in the papers or are like the Boko Haram leaders and fighters kept in indefinite detention and been giving the best of feeding, care with twenty four hours light, telecommunication gadgets etc at their beck and call surprisingly when they are arrested in the same country where arrested Social Critics, demonstrators and those who the government don’t like their faces in Omoleye Sowore, Deji, El Zazaky, Dasuki etc are hurriedly taken to court for treason and given the most inhuman treatment and indefinite detention in very dangerous and pitiable conditions not fit for animals and even when bails are granted the same government refused to release them ans in some cases they are given bail conditions that are as outrageous as the charges against them,
Daily watch investigations confirmed that thousands of Boko Haram Fighters, killers from the Zamfara war front and herders arrested for heineous crimes are all been treated as lords while innocent demonstrators and Social Critics and rubbished, disgraced, messed up and held in perpetual detention using very strenuous and unknown charges through compromised Judges.
Today ,most of the herdsmen that turned Benue, Zamfara etc into a killing field are moving freely and been negotiated with just as others are been paid by state governors in what has become a new government Policy for criminals when it suited the government of the day,
According to Investigations, over two hundred top Boko Haram leaders and thousands of members arrested since Buhari came to power are kept in diverse DSS detention and special centers wgere they are treated like lords just as many others are said to have been conscripted into the Nigerian Military in a policy tagged de-radicalized Boko Haram fighters initiated by the same Buhari administration to reward these criminals /Boko Haram Boys that has turned the North East in to a Killing field.
What is more baffling to Nigerians is why no Boko Haram fighters, Fulani herders in the Genocide in Benue state and the thousands arrested have not been taken to any court of Law till date but been treated as lords in diverse detention camps that are like palaces while the innocent are made to bear the brunt of government phony charges for treason etc.
Daily watch Spoke with several leaders of thoughts in Nigeria on the funny pattern of trial that the Buhari’s administration has chosen to operate in, where real Killers, Boko Haram men and herders are enjoying in diverse Palaces called detention camps for several years without trial with some even impregnating their wives in detention while innocent Nigerians like El-Zazaky, Sowore etc are been treated like hardened criminals.
Daily watch sought the views of Pa Andre Audu, a member of the Idoma Elders Forum (IEF) who also expressed serious shock with the scenario and even went further to chastised the DSS for been used to undertake very personal vendetta of the President but reluctant to act and investigate all the clear cases of killings by headers I the state or the taking of the hundreds of Boko Haram fighters with them for trial.
In the Words of Pa Audu “ The DSS today in Nigeria seemed to be undertaking childish and churlish duty and pretending not to see, act or pursue real criminals all through the Massacre, killings by herdsmen in the North East but quick to go after demonstrators and those that insults the president and rush them to court as if they are working when in fact they are doing next to nothing when the issue involved herdsmen, Boko Haram which are sensitive security issues they are supposed to work on”
Speaking in this direction was the detained owner of Sahara Newspaper and leader of the Revolution Nigeria who in the bigh Court in Abuja also raised the same poser on why he is treated like a War criminal for been critical of the government and labeled a ‘coupiest’ and charged for treason and kept incommunicado without fair treatment in the same detention facility when Boko Haram fighters, Herdsmen are kept and treated with all the niceties of life from decent mails to GSM, good bed, special and well organized enjoyment to some even having the decency of having their wives and lovers Visiting them.
In the words of Omoleye Sowore “What kind of country is Nigeria where Criminals, Boko Haram fighters and others are treated with the best of all comforts why Critics and demonstrators are treated like Boko Haram fighters and Killers”
Also speaking on the same light is the leader of the New Bakkasi Strike Force (NBSF) General Maxwell Udoh, who likened the situation in Nigeria today as appalling as two sets of laws are seriously operational in Nigeria, one for those whom the government sees as ‘theirs’ and the others for other Nigerians. Going further he asked why thousands of Boko Haram killers are been conscripted into Nigerian army why Several Nigerians are finding in difficult to get into the Same Military or why Boko Haram leaders are living like lords in diverse detention cells all over Abuja yet not sent for trial over the years and simple Nigerians like Sowore and El Zazakky and detained indefinably and described as security risk while those who are real risk and eating and dining with the government in Zamfara, Sokoto and Borno where government negotiates with criminals and killers..
According to General Udoh “Nigeria is a laughing stock in the international clime, a country where Islamic Fighters arrested are been conscripted into Military, where killers, bandits and negotiating with government in their own terms, where arrested Boko Haram leaders are treated with the best of comfort and never any faced trial over the years yet innocent peaceful protester are hounded, harassed and treated like rogues by the same DSS and government that is supposed to go after the killers and rogues”
Daily watch attempts to reach out to the DSS Spokes person Peter Affunaya on reasons why so called arrested Boko Haram leaders have not been taken to court over the years and why the DSS take delight in running after children that writes letters to Governors and demonstrations instead of going after leaders of herders, Bandits in Zamfara, Kaduna ,Sokoto Etc was not possible as the DSS spokes person totally refused responding to several text messages to his line.
