Civil Society Organizations under the auspices of the Civil Society Joint Action Group, Community of Practice Against Mass Atrocities, and, Nigeria Mourns on Monday asked the Federal Government to take immediate steps to end the endemic insecurity and threats to life and property in the country.
Citing the growing incidences of attacks by kidnap syndicates and terrorist groups across the country in recent times, the groups expressed concern that the situation was fast getting out of control in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and environs.
“We are deeply concerned by the deteriorating state of security in the country and therefore call on the Nigerian government to take actionable steps to end the endemic insecurity, mitigate further attacks by kidnap syndicates and terrorist groups, and account for persons missing in these attacks,” the groups said in a statement.
Over the past decade and a half, the group said insecurity in Nigeria has spiraled due to a variety of violent phenomena, including but not limited to terrorist activities in the entire northern region of the country.
They also noted the proliferation of terror pillages otherwise known as ‘banditry’ in the North West, farmer-herder violence in the Middle Belt, including the Benue Valley, secessionist struggles in the South East, piracy in the southern coast of the Country, inter-communal attacks, political violence, cult-gang violence and kidnapping.
“These forms of insecurity have jeopardized the security and wellbeing of Nigerians, and have progressively deteriorated over the years. Endemic insecurity has persisted over the last three administrations, including that of President Buhari, who as a former military general, had gained public trust to run as president by promising to curb the then fledgling insecurity.
“Mass atrocities fatality tracking across the country by Nigeria Mourns reveals that in President Buhari’s second term alone (between 2019 and 2023), at least 24,816 Nigerians lost their lives, and at least 15,597 persons were abducted. This alarming trend has continued in spite of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assurance at the beginning of his presidency in May 2023 to tackle insecurity,” the Groups said.
Over the last eight months since President Tinubu took office, the Group said the situation has not improved, with at least 2,423 people killed in mass atrocities-related incidents and at least 1,872 persons abducted between May 29, 2023 and January 26, 2024.
They said they were particularly concerned about the upsurge in abductions, noting that at least 230 incidents, in most of which multiple victims were involved, occurred within the first two weeks of January 2024 alone.
Also, they said several communities across the country, including the Federal Capital Territory, have been under siege, with entire families and in some cases, communities, taken hostage.
Residents, they said, are being forced to flee due to repeated attacks by terrorists, kidnappers and other organized criminal groups, while kidnapping for ransom demands has become a disturbing norm, without appropriate response from the authorities.
The Groups cited the case this week where 30 villagers were abducted in an attack on Tashar Nagule village of Batsari local government area of Katsina State, on the heels of the abduction of 23 people in Kawu community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory on 11 January.
Similarly, the Group said 50 people, including 36 women, were abducted in an attack on Magizawa community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara state, while over 400 people were killed in repeated attacks on communities in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau state, including the gruesome massacre of over 200 people in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi communities in Mangu Local Government on the eve of Christmas in 2023.
“Road ambushes have made interstate travel more perilous. Reported incidents such as the abduction of 30 passengers near Katari along the Kaduna-Abuja highway and the kidnapping of 45 passengers in Orokam on the Benue-Enugu route underscore the gravity of the situation.
“Even homes are no longer safe. Homes in rural communities in Northern Nigeria have for over a decade contended with terror pillages; and more recently, urban centers including the Federal Capital Territory have witnessed a surge in invasions in which citizens are being abducted for ransom, even within the confines of their homes.
“Failed, by law enforcement, families are resorting to publicly crowdfund to pay ransoms without interference from the government. The reticence of government to this trend is an acquiescence to the payment of ransoms.
“We note that the same government was quick to freeze the bank accounts of donors and recipients of funding for #EndSARS, but fails to take concrete action to protect citizens against organized crime,” the Group said.
They expressed dismayed over the willingness of some political leaders and politically exposed persons to publicly support ransom payments, saying their actions and utterances reflect a lack of faith in the system of which they are guardians, and their nonchalant attitude towards the potential consequences, including directly funding future attacks.
The nonchalance stance of these political leaders, they noted appear to embolden perpetrators of the crimes and further erodes the trust of citizens in their government’s capacity and sincerity.
Obtaining an education by citizens, they noted, has become a risky venture for learners, teachers, and parents due to school abductions, while businesses are suffering from the effects of the deplorable state of affairs.
Farming communities, for instance, they noted, are losing their resilience against perennial pillages, and traders can no longer ply roads safely, with foreigners no longer feel safe to visit and invest, as they are being forced to pay ransoms to fortify their private security.
“The entire nation is slowly grinding to a halt due to insecurity. We are concerned that the current administration has continued the legacy of failing to decisively deal with the atrocious onslaughts against citizens within the nation’s borders, and that Nigerians who are being further impoverished by the escalating insecurity, now perpetually live in fear of being attacked, abducted or killed.
“The government has continued to fail in its primary duty of ensuring the security and welfare of all citizens as mandated in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, and in its obligation to enforce and fulfill its citizens’ right to life, according to Section 33 of the Constitution.
We hereby call upon President Bola Tinubu as the lead agent of government to urgently Fulfill its constitutional imperative of safeguarding the lives of all citizens; declare a state of emergency on kidnapping and other forms of terrorism; enhance the country’s security infrastructure by conducting an audit of the responsibility matrix within security agencies and departments of government, bolster their capabilities and deployment of technology to effectively address the evolving challenges of insecurity.
The groups also asked the government to promptly prosecute the 400 sponsors of terrorism arrested under the Buhari regime; uncover and prosecute those responsible for the misappropriation of the $460 million earmarked for the provision of CCTV cameras in the Federal Capital Territory; implement more decisive measures to promptly secure the release of all abducted victims; create a register of victims of abductions and other forms of mass atrocities; recognize and address the floundering economy, corruption and human rights violations as exacerbating factors of Nigeria’s insecurity.
In addition, they stressed the need to engage citizens on best practices for ending insecurity, including disincentivizing the payment of ransoms; provide holistic psychosocial support for abduction survivors and their families; promptly investigate and decisively prosecute all individuals implicated in fueling insecurity as well as investigate the financial flow of organized criminal groups and identify the sponsors and beneficiaries.
The Groups includeCivil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), African Initiative for Peacebuilding, Advocacy and Advancement (AfriPeace), Almajiri Child Rights Initiative (ACRI), Alliances for Africa, Amnesty International Nigeria (AIN), Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP), BudgIT, Cedar Seed Foundation, Centre for Community Excellence, Zamfara (CENCEX), Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER), Clean Technology Hub and Cleen Foundation.
Others included Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), CSO Accountability and Transparency Initiative (CATi), Enough Is Enough (EiE), Global Rights, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Keen and Care Initiative (KCI), MILID Foundation, Neighbourhood Environment Watch Foundation, Network of Women with Disabilities and Disabled People in Leadership Initiative, Nextier SPD, Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO), NULAI Nigeria and OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative (OAI).
The Groups also included Media Initiative for Transparency In Extractive Industries (MITEI), Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN), Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN)x, Partnership for Justice, Praxis Centre, Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Sesor Empowerment Foundation, Social Action, Nigeria, Socio Economic Rights & Accountability Project (SERAP), Srarina Initiative for Peace, Justice and Development, Stephanie Peacebuilding and Development Foundation (SPADEV), TAF AFRICAz, Tap Initiative, TechHer, The Benue We Deserve Foundation (BenDeF), The Kukah Centre, We The People, Women Advocate Research & Documentation Centre (WARDC), Women in Mining in Nigeria (WoMIN) and Yiaga Africa.
