The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for an independent judicial investigation into the killing of Brigadier-General Braimoh and other soldiers in Benisheikh, Borno State.
This follows a disclosure by Babagana Zulum that security agencies had prior intelligence about the attack three days before it occurred.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to constitute a seven-man panel comprising members of the judiciary, civil society organisations, and security experts.
The group alleged that failure to act on intelligence raises serious concerns.
”We suspect an insider conspiratorial plots between military officers embedded within the Nigeria Army and elements of the boko haram terrorists and ISWAP for the failure of the huerarchy of the defence headquarters to effectively put preemptive mechanisms in place to prevent the invasion of the military facility in Borno state.
”President Bola Tinubu should stop his sermonisation over the constant overrunning of military infrastructures by Islamic terrorists and order comprehensive independent investigation to be handled by a high powered judicial panelists to be led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, judges of the Federal High Court and retired Supreme Court and Court of Appeal justices and members of the organised civil rights bodies such as Mr. Femi Falana(SAN).
”For dozens of times, the military headquarters in Abuja has spectacularly failed to save the lives of soldiers in the line of fire even when there is credible intelligence about imminent attacks. The officers who treated the intelligence with Kid gloves should be named and Court Marshalled because the offence of deliberately allowing ISWAP and boko haram terrorists to successfully launch attacks on civilians and military infrastructures even when there is prior intelligence amounts to high treason.
”Those officers should be prosecuted under the counter terrorism Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The other time it was the Girls boarding school in Kebbi State whereby Islamic terrorists were allowed to invade the school and abduct dozens of girls from their dormitory after soldiers were withdrawn from the town just few hours before the insurgents struck showing that these are insiders jobs. Boko haram terrorists and ISWAP have infiltrated the Nigerian Army and the Defence Headquarters.”
Governor Zulum described the incident as shocking and called for urgent review of security strategies.
“This is one of the most surprising attacks that I have witnessed in recent times,” he said. “Credible intelligence about the impending attack had been available for approximately three days, and there is a need to reassess our security architecture to address emerging threats more effectively.”
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to supporting security agencies.
“We will continue to support the Armed Forces and other security agencies. Our administration will also enhance the resilience of local vigilantes, security personnel, and affected communities to ensure that Benisheikh does not fall into the hands of Boko Haram,” he stated.
The attack has again highlighted ongoing security challenges in Nigeria’s North-East.
