Appalled by the worsening insecurity and ongoing kidnapping epidemic in the country, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the auspices of the Civil Society Joint Action Group has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on the current security situation in the country, claiming at least 2,423 people have been killed, while 1,872 were abducted within eight months of Tinubu’s administration.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja on behalf of the coalition, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said there should be a timeline that the president would give to the security agencies to tackle insecurity, necessitating their call for a declaration of a state of emergency on kidnapping and other forms of terrorism.
“Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria under the auspices of the Civil Society Joint Action Group, Community of Practice Against Mass Atrocities, and Nigeria Mourns, are deeply concerned by the deteriorating state of security across Nigeria and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 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,” he said.
The coalition stated: “Mass atrocities fatality tracking across the country by Nigeria Mourns reveals that in President Buhari’s second term alone (2019 to 2023), after Buhari as a former military general, gained public trust to run as president by promising to curb the then fledgling insecurity, at least 24,816 Nigerians lost their lives, and at least 15,597 persons were abducted.
“This alarming trend has continued despite President Tinubu’s assurance at the beginning of his presidency in May 2023 to tackle insecurity. It has now been eight months since President Tinubu took his oath of office and yet, things have failed to improve. Our tracking shows at least 2,423 people have been killed in mass atrocities-related incidents and at least 1,872 persons were abducted since the beginning of President Tinubu’s administration till January 26, 2024.
“We are 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.”
Rafsanjani said over the past decade and a half, insecurity in Nigeria spiralled due to a variety of violent phenomena, including but not limited to terrorist activities in the entire northern region, 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 in the South-west.
He noted that these forms of insecurity have jeopardised the security and wellbeing of Nigerians and have progressively deteriorated over the years.
He further stated that 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 the citizens’ rights to life, according to Section 33 of the document.
Consequently, the coalition called on President Tinubu to urgently undertake 12 measures to tackle insecurity in the country, among which are to fulfill the constitutional imperative of safeguarding the lives of Nigerians and also declare a state of emergency on kidnapping and other forms of terrorism.
Also lamenting over the security challenges in the country, a Kaduna-based cleric and visioneer of Throneroom Trust Ministry Kafanchan, Apostle Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on crime and terrorism in the country for the restoration of law and order in Nigeria.
Speaking in Kafanchan yesterday, Kure also challenged President Tinubu to issue a marching order to the military and other security agencies to immediately tame the activities of criminals who derive pleasure in killing innocent souls.
He also advised the Government to provide advanced weapons for the military to confront the criminals, whom he said are using better and advanced weapons to carry out their nefarious activities.
Besides, Kure challenged state governors in the North Central states, including Kaduna “to consider creating a unifying security structure within the confines of the law, just like their counterparts in the Southwest who established Amotekun to fight crimes and criminality in their region.”
The strident calls came after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Boko Haram terrorists on the Pulka-Firgi Road in Gwoza local government area of Borno State, killed seven farmers in a commercial vehicle.
Sources, according to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region, revealed that the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when the vehicle conveying the victims ran over the explosive. The sources said seven passengers and the driver of the vehicle were confirmed dead, adding that seven others were severely injured.
ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists have resorted to desperate but extreme measures to fight back against the crushing intrusion of their enclaves by the Nigerian military.
They have heightened the use of IEDs as their major warfare tactics due to their weakness and depleted capacity. These landmines had in the past days and weeks claimed the lives of innocent civilians – mostly women and children in Borno.
Also yesterday, unknown gunmen killed two policemen and two civilians at Ohii Junction in Owerri West local council of Imo State. They were shot on the head and died instantly.
The deceased police officers were wearing their camouflage while on duty when it occurred. No reason was given for the action as at the time of this report, but speculations were strife that their killers might have demonstrated their anger over enforcement of the Monday sit-at-home order.
This is after seven decomposing bodies were discovered in a bush near the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), as disclosed by the Imo State Police Commissioner, Aboki Danjuma, on Monday.
In a bid to combat the rising cases of insecurity in the Southwest states, the six governors in the region have commenced discussions with President Tinubu on the need for the Amotekun corps to be allowed to carry sophisticated arms.
The Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who disclosed this on Sunday night during a media chat tagged ‘Meet Your Governor ‘in Ado-Ekiti, said governors are of the view that the growing level of kidnappings, killings and other heinous crimes in the region would be adequately tackled by the local security outfit with the right arms.
He disclosed that the former administration of former President Buhari allegedly frustrated the effective and efficient operations of the local security network when it was established a few years ago. Oyebanji described President Tinubu as an advocate of true federalism, expressing optimism that the present administration would agree with the Southwest states on the need for the Amotekun corps to be legally and operationally empowered to confront the criminal elements in the region.
According to him, “On Amotekun, I think we are turning the corner, but I also know the legal structural limitations to Amotekun. We didn’t have the kind of robust engagement we would have love to have with the last administration at the federal level; grudgingly they allowed us to be, but they planted a lot of obstacles on its effectiveness, they can’t carry arms but you know that the present President is an advocate of true federalism and I am sure we will navigate that.
“I don’t know how you want someone to combat criminals without protecting himself, that is a big issue. So, what we are using Amotekun for now is to gather intelligence that we share with formal security apparatus.
“Amotekun has the potential to do more if they are allowed to carry arms and it is a conversation the Southwest governors are having with the Federal Government and I am sure very soon, something will be done in that regard, because it is glaring that the local entity understands the environment better and we will get to the end of that very soon; the discussion has been positive.”
On his part, Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, has said it is too early to ‘judge’ the performance of President Tinubu in major sectors like security and economy. Uzodimma, who is the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC), expressed confidence that his partyman would rescue Nigeria from economic doldrums.
Uzodimma, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, said the results of Tinubu’s policies would be seen in the next couple of months and Nigerians would soon begin to praise the President for sweeping reforms.
“I am the Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, five states; I am the chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, 20 governors; and we are unanimous in supporting President Tinubu to ensure that he succeeds in rescuing the economy, in rescuing this country, in making sure that we live according to the expectations of our founding fathers.
“And I can tell you, seven months or eight months into his four years mandate is not enough to judge him. So, why the hurry? Some people are suffering from anxiety-cirrhosis. Some people are not able to come to terms with the reality on the ground.
“I am confident. I have my belief that if this man is not able to get this country correct, then something must be wrong.”
Meanwhile, the Africa Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF), on Monday, attributed high rates of unprecedented occurrences of violence, crime and insecurity to the economic crisis across the country. AYGF also called on the government to take decisive action on the crises surrounding the exchange rates of the naira and dollar, as they significantly worsen Nigerians’ woes.
Executive Director of AYGF, Dr. Arome Salifu, in Abuja, called on Nigerians to support locally-made goods and services in contributing to the mitigation of these adverse effects on the economy.
He said: “Mass abductions and kidnappings for ransom have been a nationwide problem for several years but have kick-started in the new year at a rapid pace in 2024. The need for effective measures to counteract this threat is evident, as it jeopardizes education, livelihood, the well-being of rural and urban communities and citizens at large.
“The removal of fuel subsidies in Nigeria resulted in a significant rise in transportation costs and food prices across the country, impacting the daily lives of Nigerians. Various critics noted that the decision would drastically increase poverty levels and disproportionately impact the most vulnerable sectors of society.”
While advocating for an integrated approach to address both the economic challenges and insecurity concurrently. He said that the government should formulate comprehensive policies that synergize efforts to boost economic growth while simultaneously addressing security concerns.
