HURIWA Coordinator claims gunmen after his life for accusing Buhari’s minister of corruption

The National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko, has alleged that gunmen are after his life for accusing the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Farouk of massive corruption in the school feeding programmes.

Onwubiko who made the allegation in a statement issued on Wednesday said that some unknown gunmen in a vehicle had accosted him at about 7 pm yesterday (Tuesday) but were scared off by a police van.

He also further alleged that the gunmen had trailed him for about 30 minutes before sighting the police van which scared them away, adding also, that followers of Sadiya Farouq have been sponsoring media attacks against HURIWA due to the allegations it raised.

The statement by HURIWA reads thus in part: “At about 7pm on August 18, 2020, while Onwubiko was on his way home, he was waylaid by a Toyota Camry driven by a fierce-looking person with about two other armed occupants who trailed him for nearly thirty minutes and made attempt to hit his car from behind but fortunately, he escaped from the hands of these marauding attackers who then fled upon sighting a police van not too far from the scene.

“The attack has come after a week that Rights group – Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) had publicly alleged massive corruption in the school feeding programmes of the federal ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster management.

“The Minister’s self-acclaimed hack writer and supporters have gone overboard with a rash of publications in several newspapers with a campaign of calumny against HURIWA and the National Coordinator. Some journalists have also been paid to accuse HURIWA of harassing female ministers,” the statement added.