Reprisal: HURIWA fumes as soldiers allegedly storm Anambra community, open fire on residents

By Adeleye Kunle

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Sunday, condemned an alleged reprisal attack by soldiers who invaded Umunze, a community in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, and allegedly shot at unarmed, innocent people of the community at Nkwo Market.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said in a statement that the act by the soldiers is condemnable, stressing that no reason justifies it under human rights laws.

According to reports, gunmen had killed five soldiers in Umunze last week leading to a reprisal attack on the community.

The rights group, which condemned the killing of soldiers by the non-state actors, lamented that instead of chasing the gunmen who may not be residents of the community, some soldiers invaded the community hours later shooting indiscriminately, and injuring several people at the market.

Commenting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The reprisal by the Nigerian Army at Umunze in Anambra is condemnable and totally against human rights laws nationally and internationally.

“It is important to ask why the military has not carried out such reprisals in Zamfara and Katsina where terrorists killed about four soldiers just this last week. The attention of the world must be drawn to the apartheid and selective revenge missions to Southern Nigeria by the military