WorldStage Newsonline– About 50 civil society organizations across Nigeria have condemned the wanton killings of thousands of Nigerians in different parts of the country, lamenting that the high level of insecurity signaled a total collapse of the country’s security architecture.
The group at a joint press briefing in Abuja urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to fulfill its primary constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property as enunciated in section 14(2) (b) and section 33 of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
Speaking at the briefing, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Ahwal Rafsanjani lamented the nonchalance by the government evidence by its unending fruitless statements which raised concern about its commitment to ending insecurity.
Rafsanjani, said government officials had continued to lie to Nigerians about its failure, saying citizens no longer safe in the country except for those government officials with rented security personnel.
He said, this call had become necessary due to wanton killings, most recently in the past month being the bombing of the Abuja -Kaduna train and the Gidan station; attack on Kaduna airport; the takeover by Kaduna -Abuja Expressway by terrorists; killings of over 65 persons at Kebbi State; the attack on Kwali Area Council of the FCT and abduction of traditional rulers and lots more.
“We are appalled to note that despite the continued assurance by the presidency and the nation’s security chiefs that the county had technically defeated terrorists, and that the nation had become considerably safer, the reality as shown in the few examples shared above tells a different story.
“Nigerians are increasingly living in constant fear and are apprehensive of becoming victims of mass atrocities both in public and private spaces. They can no longer sleep at home in peace or travel without fear of being abducted or killed”.
Convener of the civil society groups, and Executive Director, Global Rights, Ms. Abiodun Baiyewu disclosed that Nigeria recorded at least 1,545 persons killed and about 1,321 abducted by terrorists between 1 January, and 30 March, 2022.
She also condemned the government actions and failure to gauge the mood of the nation after the bombing of the Abuja-Kaduna train by terrorists, killings of innocent citizens, saying, “it focused its energy on mobilizing supporters for the World Cup Qualifying match, shutting down government offices by 1pm on the day of the match and providing free buses to supporters with great fanfare.
“Worse still, failing to honour our recent departed compatriots by a simple act of mandating players and officials to wear black armbands in their honour.
“While we appreciate the media constraints in the face of continued repression of press freedom by the government, and the financial constraints of conducting detailed investigations, we remind them that as the 4th realm of government, they owe Nigerians a duty of timely truth, of demanding accountability of duty bearers and amplifying citizens voice and healthy debates on the building and preservation of our nationhood.”
Furthermore, the group demanded that government should take urgent action and; live up to its constitutional duty of ensuring the security and welfare of al Nigerians; review that nation’s security architecture and be more proactive in building capacity of intelligence agencies; to be humane in its actions as mandated by section 17(2)(c) of our constitution; account for the abducted, the missing, and the dead in the Abuja-Kaduna train bombing; take immediate action to rescue all abducted person.
Other include to conduct an independent inquiry into the immediate and remote circumstances that enable the successful bombing of the train; and in particular, to investigate the claim by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi to the effect that some persons frustrated his efforts towards providing critical surveillance infrastructure for the rail track with a view to identifying the people that are deliberately sabotaging government efforts and to take deliberate action through responsible leadership in addressing the immediate and remote circumstances that are festering terrorism and other forms of mass atrocities across the country.
