Human Rights Writers Association
of Nigeria, HURIWA, has described the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari
government to build railways from Kano to Niger Republic with borrowed Chinese
money as fraudulent and against Nigeria’s security interests.
HURIWA also threatened to sue
President Muhammadu Buhari in order to stop the multibillion Naira project.
A Statement by HURIWA, signed by
its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko on
Thursday strongly condemned the approval of about $1.96 billion contract of the
proposed project.
The human rights group described
the planned project as a misplaced priority and a grave threat to national
security, insisting that it is fraudulent to borrow from China and build for
Niger Republic and then tax Nigerians to pay back.
The Federal Government had
yesterday approved a $1,959,744,723.71 contract for a rail line that would link
Nigeria to Niger Republic.
The railways will connect at
least seven cities in Nigeria and one city in Niger Republic and is expected to
start from Kano and pass through Dambatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina,
Jibia and terminate in Maradi, Niger Republic.
HURIWA said that the project is
another proof of misplacement of priority by the Buhari regime.
However, the rights group
described the project as a ticking time bomb and a grave threat to National
security, adding that when completed, it will ease the influx of illegal aliens
into Nigeria.
“We are worried that this project
when completed will be express entry for killer herdsmen and terrorists from
Niger. We see it also as a plot to flood Nigeria with illegal aliens for
purposes of undermining the 2023 polls,” the group said.
“Therefore, we condemn this
venture as wasteful because of the danger of being used to import weapons that
will set Nigeria ablaze. Whereas there are no such rail lines linking Lagos to
Enugu and Port Harcourt or Maiduguri to Enugu, President Buhari is investing
almost $2bn to build railways for terrorists and bandits to flood into Nigeria
and destabilize the country. Is this government just for the North?
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“In any event, the bottom line is
that security everywhere in Nigeria, particularly across the north, appears to
be rapidly deteriorating, resulting to popular discontent. Hence, this rail
project is ill-timed and a wasteful effort.
“Beyond the security aspect, Let
us even look at it from the point of view of the economy. What is the economic
benefit of this project to Nigeria? The Nigerian economy, as it is today, is
not in a state to contain this kind of wasteful spending.
“Generally, illegal immigration
in Nigeria is a serious problem and the border has become quite porous.
According to authorities, people from Niger are the biggest group of illegal
immigrants, and the problems with illegal influx migrants are seen in the
dangers faced by the host or receiving country, which are social, economic,
political and security.
“A rapid influx of illegal
immigrants has led to crisis of identification and an increase in the crime
rates in Nigeria. It is alleged that among the illegal migrants, there are
militants, who enter the nation to carry out terrorist activities.
“Terrorism has become a global
trend, and it is thought that the current government of Muhammadu Buhari would
seek out practical ways to strengthen our porous borders, instead, it is
creating easy and accessible means of illegal arms trafficking and immigrants.”
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