14th May, 2022
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), slammed the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for deleting a tweet condemning the killing of Deborah Samuel by some Islamic extremists in her school in Sokoto State.
Atiku has been under fire on social media after condemning the act before making a u-turn to delete his post following threats by some Muslim fanatics who said they would no longer vote for him in the 2023 election.
HURIWA reacting to the development said Atiku has a terrible record of not intervening when Christians are killed by his kinsmen but hopes to win the votes of Christians as he seeks the ticket of the opposition PDP to become their Presidential candidate this month.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, and made available to newsmen on Friday, HURIWA dismissed the former Vice President as someone who lacks principles and is perpetually afraid of Islamic fundamentalists thus creating the image of himself as a Moslem bigot.
“Atiku Abubakar denied ever condemning the killing of the young Christian girl, Deborah in Sokoto because Islamists threatened him on his Facebook and Twitter not to cast their VOTES for him.
“Let us ask Atiku Abubakar if your daughter is at this receiving end of this barbaric murder, will you prefer the so-called votes of the lawless Islamists or will you stand by the Nigerian Constitution which in Section 36(5) guarantees fair hearing to all accused persons and Section 6 which concedes judicial power of the federation to the courts of competent jurisdiction?
“We ask President Muhammadu Buhari if one of your daughters is the one treated like a chicken, will you maintain conspiratorial silence as if you are not on this planet with us?” HURIWA said.