FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NIGERIANS UNITE AGAINST
INSECURITY AND TERRORISM (NUAIT)
LAGOS, NIGERIA. 20/04/2016
NIGERIANS UNITE
AGAINST INSECURITY AND TERRORISM DENOUNCES PERVADING VIOLENT EXTREMISM, EXTRAJUDUCIAL AND SPORADIC
KILLINGS IN AGATU, TARABA, ABIA STATES AND OTHER PARTS OF NIGERIA.
Preamble:
The
pervasive, unrelenting violent extremism, insecurity – wanton kidnapping, militancy,
extrajudicial killings, herdsmen – farmers’ imbroglio in Nigeria is to say the
least, very distressing and has far-reaching national security ramifications. We
strongly decry Nigeria’s persistent drift towards the precipice and we fervently
advocate for urgent, decisive and holistic solutions brainstormed to rein in
the aforesaid goings-on rather than kneejerk approaches. It is depressing that life expectancy
in Nigeria is tenably 52.11 years, the value of life continues to depreciate
and there’s seldom outrage when scores of innocent Nigerians are randomly
hacked to death. Insecurity, criminality and impunity
festers in Nigeria because of weak institutions, paucity of innovative ideas, lack
of political will and finger-pointing in the corridors of power.
Worrying trend, statistics:
1. An indicative rather than definitive
data by the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), a project run by the
Council on Foreign Relations' (CFR) estimates that plausibly 20,000 people have
died as a result of Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism.
2.
The Global Terrorism Index ranked Fulani
militants as the fourth deadliest terror group in world. The GTI asserts that Fulani
herdsmen killed about 1,229 people in 2014.
3.
A recent critical report by the United States accuses government at all levels in Nigeria of
inter alia: brutality, arbitrary
detention, injustice, brutality, unbridled bribery and extrajudicial killings
amongst others.
4.
Nigeria’s erstwhile Attorney-General
and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, pointedly accused the Nigeria Police Force of being responsible for not less than
7, 108 deaths in the last four years as at December 2012.
5.
Apart from hundreds massacred
in Agatu, Taraba states, herdsmen reportedly killed 18 people and allegedly poisoned water sources recently in Buruku, Logo and Kwande Councils of Benue
state.
6.
About 92 armed herdsmen were
reportedly arrested
by soldiers at checkpoints around Abuja with dangerous weapons.
7.
The
Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly discovered unidentified 55
shallow graves recently at Umuanyi Forest near Aba in Abia state.
8.
A study by Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian organization, says “Nigeria
loses N2.3 trillion (US$13.7
billion) annually
to farmer-pastoralist conflict” in four
Middle Belt states alone.
Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity And
Terrorism hereby recommends that:
1.
The Nigerian government expeditiously adopts
the United Nations – Plan
of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism – a ‘’comprehensive
approach encompassing not only essential security-based counter-terrorism
measures but also systematic preventive steps to address the underlying
conditions that drive individuals to radicalize and join violent extremist
groups’’.
2.
The current administration MUST be forthright
and decisive on herdsmen-farmers fracas. Though a belated order for deployment
of troops in hotspots across Nigeria where herdsmen – farmer clashes are rife
was recently made, the hitherto resonating silence of Mr. President on this
unbecoming. It smacks insensitivity, abdication of responsibility for Aso Rock
to keep mum when hundreds are slaughtered in Agatu and other parts of the
country but hurries to commiserate with foreign countries threatened by
terrorists.
3.
The security agencies MUST synergize, unveil
a holistic road map towards reining in unprecedented insecurity in Nigeria. We
recommend that henceforth, Ministers, public office holders be given “Mandate
Letters” outlining specific deliverables and routinely appraised. Take a cue
from a Mandate
Letter given to Canadian Minister of National Defence’.
4.
The much bandied ‘’National Grazing Bill’’
must not be a pretext for sequestering swathes of
land from the original owners to make room for another to feed his livestock. Since
cattle herding is a commercial enterprise, it behooves on cattle owners, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria
(MACBAN) to borrow a leaf from cattle herders in Australia, New
Zealand, the Netherlands amongst others by adopting technology and global best
practice - establish cattle ranches rather than wandering from one part of the
country to the other.
5.
Soft-regulation of the Private Security Industry
will help stem the tide of insecurity in Nigeria. A proposal shall be submitted
to this effect.
6.
Security agents MUST shun partisanship,
display uncommon professionalism, patriotism. Nigeria
will be safer if the DSS hitherto channeled the alacrity it deployed in 'unraveling'
the alleged Abia killings into sorting out killings in Agatu, Taraba and other
parts of the country.
7.
Nigerian
security and intelligence agencies must stifle proliferation of arms; ensure diligent forensic investigation and water-tight prosecution
of culprits.
8.
Nigerians must resist resorting to
self-help, reprisal attacks and do away with ‘’jungle justice mentality’’. An
accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty by competent court.
Signed
Don Okereke
Twitter: @DonOkereke
Email: donnuait(a)yahoo.com
Tel: +2347080008285
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