- Group says the jets could be used “for indiscriminate bombings of unarmed innocent civilians”
A group of Nigerians in Diaspora have launched a campaign to prevail on the U.S. President, Joe Biden, to stop the impending delivery of the A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets and other military wares to Nigeria so they would not be used by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari “for indiscriminate bombings of unarmed innocent civilians.”
Nigeria is set to receive the first tranche of six of the 12 A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets next month.
In the letter to Biden titled “Halt Delivery of War Planes to Nigeria Over Genocide Tweet,” the group said that though the U.S. has condemned the ban on Twitter operations which it noted was suppression of free speech, “more must be done in view of the underlying threat that Gen. Buhari made against his own citizens.”
The group is also leading a worldwide campaign to get 100,000 signatures to the White House to support its position.
Apart from the campaign for aggrieved citizens of the world to deliver letters to stop the delivery of the weapons to the White House, people all over the world are encouraged to call and register their grievances and misgivings on the stifling of free speech in Nigeria.
According to their note to those wishing to place a call to the White House, “when your call gets through, “tell the person you want President Biden to tell President Buhari and the Nigerian regime to stop the brutal and extra judicial killing of unarmed civilians by the Nigerian armed forces and law enforcement officers all across Nigeria, especially in Southeastern Nigeria.
“Furthermore, the US should stop the impending delivery of the A-29 Super Tucano airplanes and any other military wares to the Buhari regime as the weapons are likely to be used for indiscriminate bombings of unarmed innocent civilians. Act now to save lives.”
Emmanuel Ogebe, of the US Nigeria Law Group and Special Counsel for the Justice for Jos Project, who is a Co-Convener for the campaign coalition, said that the halt on weapons delivery ahs become imperative because “Buhari was an officer during the ‘60s Biafran genocide that claimed over 1 million lives so his threats must not be taken lightly given his past participation therein.
“Secondly Gen. Buhari as military dictator in the ‘80s imprisoned journalists & shut down newspapers in a massive press repression. He has simply graduated from repressing print media to social media in 2021.
“Thirdly Gen. Buhari’s misguided attacks on Twitter happened while his government failed to protect over 200 Nigerians killed in the past two weeks by militia from his Fulani Herdsmen tribe. Reports say over 60 were killed in two parts of Benue State, 93 killed in Kebbi and Kaduna states and 58 killed in Niger and Plateau states.
“In Plateau state the Fulani Militia rampaged for a whole week right next to a military cantonment where Gen. Buhari once served without the Army protecting the helpless women and children being slaughtered. Three US affiliated schools/orphanages had to be evacuated.
“Fourthly Nigeria’s Air Force has experienced three deadly plane crashes in three months some under suspicious circumstances in addition accidentally bombing innocent citizens. Please don’t deliver more weapons for Buhari to misuse against his people.”