Protesters for the second day running, on Tuesday, took to the streets of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, demanding the expulsion of Amnesty International (AI) from the country, accusing the organization of being behind groups, including Boko Haram, Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) and others that were found to be working to destabilise the country.
The aggrieved Nigerians, led by the Concerned Citizens Coalition (CCC), had on Monday staged a peaceful rally to the Iranian Embassy to express their displeasure over the same development.
They displayed banners and posters with the various inscriptions such as: “Amnesty International, the time has come to leave Nigeria, we have tolerated you enough, we cannot fold our arms and watch you destabilize our country. Leave now or we force you to leave,” “Amnesty International, you are the wheel behind Boko Haram, IMN, IPOB, and ISWAP, your support for terrorism is overwhelming. Leave Nigeria now,” “Amnesty International we reject your cash and carry report,” among others.
Convener of the group, Mohammed Shuaibu, in the text he read, accused AI of working to destabilize the country, but said this was contrary to the mandate for which it was set up, declaring it was time for the body to leave Nigeria as it had overtime acted against the nation’s interest.
This was just as he called on the country’s security agencies to investigate the body’s operations in Nigeria in the past five years, which would include sources of funding to avoid such anomaly in the future.
“We have stated in numerous forums that indeed, some organizations in Nigeria are acting against our interest by masquerading under acclaimed international organizations working in the interest of the enthronement of peace, while in truth, they are nothing but agents of some foreign countries that do not want the progress of Nigeria.
“We boldly wish to state that Amnesty International (AI) and its operations in Nigeria have indeed been a source of concerned for most Nigerians in the sense that they have constituted themselves as clogs in the wheels of progress in Nigeria through their often unsubstantiated reports and releases tuned to set Nigeria on the path of disintegration.
“That Amnesty International has continued to remain in Nigeria is a great disservice to us as a people and as a country due to the multiple pieces of evidence that indicate that it is indeed working for vested interest and, as such, lost its credibility in all ramifications,” he said.
Shuaibu said CCC was not oblivious of the alleged plot recently hatched by the government of Iran to cause chaos in Nigeria through the sponsorship of proxy groups and organizations to undertake ventures that were inimical to the interest of Nigeria and also injurious to its nascent democracy.
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He said with such plot, the government of Iran had indeed committed a colossal sum of monies in this regard, noting that some of the beneficiaries were AI, IMN, and other proxy groups that were springing up in various parts of the country under different curious nomenclatures.
“We are indeed aware that Amnesty International has entered a strategic pact with the government of Iran to provide protection for the IMN and other militant groups that have been established for the sole purpose of causing mayhem in the country.
“This fact is undeniably inimical to the peace and stability of Nigeria, and there is no moral justification for such a dubious organization to continue to operate in Nigeria under whatever guise.
“This is also aside from the numerous ways Amnesty International has attempted to cause crisis in Nigeria through its propagandist reports tailored to suit their paymasters. This position was what gave rise to the calls for the expulsion of Amnesty International from Nigeria in times past, and it seems they cannot desist from their dubious intention against the Nigerian state,” Shuaibu said.
“Amnesty International, in times past have castigated the Nigerian government and attempted to instigate the people to pick up arms against the government but for the intervention of discerning Nigerians who saw through the gimmick and rebuked Amnesty International,” he recalled, declaring that enough is enough for AI as Nigerians would take none of its despicable opposition to the growth and development of the country.
He said that it was not a sign of weakness that Nigerians decided to tow on the side of caution, but a display of the true Nigerian spirit that was abounding in love and tolerance.
“But this time around, we have decided to take the bull by the horns by demanding that Amnesty International must leave Nigeria as a matter of urgency and national concern.
“Amnesty International represents everything that is against the interest of Nigeria in the sense that their contribution to the buoyancy of the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group in North-East Nigeria is legendary through concocted and fictions reports that makes a mockery of human rights evaluations and compliance.
“Their tact support for militant groups like the Islamic Movement in Nigeria and the Indigenous People of Biafra have also been phenomenal in the sense that it is sufficing to state that they are a part of these organization through the spread of propaganda aimed at causing a distraction and undermining the efforts of Nigeria in the fight against terrorism and other forms of criminality in Nigeria. They have, through their actions, been painting the Nigerian government as incapable and carrying out acts that violate human rights, whereas the reverse has been the case.
“We cannot continue to keep quiet to this anomaly if we are indeed desirous of seeing Nigeria remain united and prosperous as a country. The time to act is indeed now.
“Our demand is simple and in the best interest of the generality of Nigerians. Amnesty International must leave Nigeria, for we cannot afford the luxury of harboring organizations that are in bed with terrorist networks around the world. We cannot also afford to allow the blood monies received by Amnesty International from Iran to infiltrate the nook and cranny of Nigeria as the result would be the spread of violence of unimaginable proportion.
“Nigerians are more united more than ever in this resolve to see to the closure of the offices of Amnesty International in Nigeria, and it is our firm belief that the relevant authorities in Nigeria would act in the best interest of Nigeria in this regard.
“Nigerians are not fools. We have tolerated enough and have consequently decided to act to save our beloved country from imminent collapse by the threat posed by Amnesty International and their cronies.
“We advise them to take their loot from Iran to other gullible countries where they can act as they wish. But not Nigeria. They can go for all we care as there is no business with light and darkness.
“We consequently give a charge to the relevant authorities to act fast in the light of the abounding pieces of evidence of the shameful acts of Amnesty International against Nigeria. Our security agencies must investigate their operations in Nigeria in the past five years, which would include sources of funding to avoid such anomaly in the future.
“We wish to sound a note of warning to Amnesty International that pending their departure from Nigeria; Nigerians would indeed hold it responsible should there be a resurgence of violent and criminal activities in Nigeria.
“A word is indeed enough for the wise. Nigerians are watching, and the world is indeed watching,” Shuaibu said.
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