The Coalition Of Nigerians Living In UK has called on the leaders of the Southern Kaduna, the Middle-Belt, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to ensure that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai does not go scot free for the killings and bloodshed in the southern region of the state under his watch.
The coalition in a release on Sunday from London, UK, and signed by Dr Loretta Oduware, Ogboro-Okor Olorogun and Theodore Ochuko Arayki also called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest and prosecute El-Rufai “over charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the country.
The Coalition said it condemned the inciting and genocidal statement by El-Rufai justifying the Muslim-Muslim civilian presidency of the country and in his own state.
The release partly read, “The Coalition of Nigerians living in UK hereby makes bold to say that former Governor, El-Rufai’s inciting and genocidal statement was not surprising.
The statement was also a clear confirmation of the remote and immediate causes of endless butcheries and property violence systematically targeted at defenceless Christians and their properties in Nigeria especially in Southern Kaduna and Middle-Belt.
“It further confirms that the butcheries have nothing to do with the so called “Farmers-Herders Clashes”. The inaction and conspiratorial roles of the country’s security forces in the butcheries and property violence including indiscriminate burning down or destruction of tens of thousands of churches and Christian schools were also brought to the fore and inescapably exposed as having been fully presidentially backed or sanctioned for deepening of ‘State Jihadism’ championed by Mallam El-Rufai and his cohorts.
“The Coalition hereby calls on the leaders of the Southern Kaduna, the Middle-Belt, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to go after Mallam el-Rufai and ensure that he does not go scot-free or walk the streets of Nigeria and west Democracies freely with impunity or as an outlaw. The former Gov seems to enjoy and have passion for bloodsheds which was why he publicly threatened the 2019 international independent election observers with “going back or returning to their countries in “body bags”.
“We are also calling on the ICC to arrest and prosecute Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai over charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in Southern Kaduna, Middle-Belt and other parts of the country where he conspired with others to export and instigate the Fulani Jihadists to invade, occupy, kill, rape, abduct, disappear, loot, plunder, burn, destroy and Islamise.”
Meanwhile, in a communique issued on May 15, the coalition said it hosted its International Press Conference which was attended by a cross section of “Nigerians including; Senator Yusuf Datti-Baba Ahmed, David Hundeyin, Dele Farotimi, Loretta Oduware Ogboro-Okor, Charles Oputa aka Charly Boy/ Area Fada, Aisha Yesufu, Priscilla Nwikpo and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.”
According to the communiqué; the Coalition Of Nigerians Living In UK stated that it “condemns in the strongest terms, the fraudulent role of INEC. This is because despite the guarantees of INEC in the run up to the 2023 elections, which created enthusiasm for mass participation with a view to deepening Nigeria’s democracy, INEC did not allow for a credible and fair process to produce our Country’s leaders.
“We align with the international election observers and global media reportage who stated that the 2023 election processes were fundamentally flawed and did not meet the expectations of the average Nigerian. The outgoing British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing said that “what was important to us, and most Nigerians is that INEC had raised expectations of most Nigerians. It is indeed a failure and I believe it has been a setback to INEC’s credibility, frankly and therefore, peoples’ confidence in the election”. We are encouraged by this statement by the British Government through her High Commissioner in stating the obvious truth at this critical time in Nigeria’s history.
“Against this background of result mutilation and forgeries as well as disenfranchisement of the Nigerian electorate, we state unequivocally that INEC did not have any reason whatsoever to jettison the agreed guidelines and process for the presidential elections. Breaking her own guidelines is a criminal action against more than 200 million Nigerians who believed that INEC would keep her promise of conducting free, fair and credible elections.
“We join our voices to demand that there is nothing to be hidden from Nigerians by Nigerians. The proceedings of the Electoral Petitions Tribunal should be transmitted live to guarantee a transparent process and give hope to Nigerians who see the judiciary as their last hope and the custodian of justice.
“As the process of producing the new president of Nigeria is now at the altar of the judiciary, issues on questionable character and eligibility of candidates must be critically scrutinized and objectively addressed, with the optimism of restoring the hopes of millions of Nigerians now resting on our judiciary .It is therefore, right to say our country awaits justice and that Nigeria’s democracy is on trial.”