Raphael, Enugu
No fewer than 20, 000 Nigerians have lost their lives to insurgency, South East Human Rights Situation Room (SEHRSR) has disclosed, stressing that children were the most affected.
Converner of SEHRSR, and Promoter, Women Aid Collective, WACOL, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, disclosed this in a speech to mark the national day of mourning in Enugu, on Monday.
According to Ezeilo, of the 1,000,000 displaced persons in the North East of Nigeria, children constitute 56 per cent while 48 per cent are under the age of five.
She explained that many souls have lost their lives untimely in Nigeria due to insurgency, armed banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes and called on governments to sit up since it is their duty to secure lives and property of the citizenry.
Section 14(2) of the Constitution provides that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” and for this reason, “it behooves on the government of the day to secure lives and property that are wantonly and unwarrantedly destroyed everyday in many parts of Nigeria.”
While lamenting how school girls were abducted from Chibok in Borno State and subsequently in Dapchi girls in Yobe State by insurgents, Ezeilo regretted that our security agencies have extra-judicial killed many while, using excessive force as part of the insecurity.
“The government has not shown commitment to hold those erring state agents responsible . The herdsmen problem has continued unabated and there is low prosecution of this armed marauding across Nigeria, terrorising Nigerians, destroying farmlands and killing farmers and members of communities that they invade,” she laments.
The members of the group who marched out in their numbers in black attires to signify that they were mourning those that lost their lives to the insurgencies and other violent crimes stated that enough was enough of the wastage of blood and urged the government to rise to the challenge and do something.
“Enough of these deaths! They are deaths too many! We urge government to step up action and abide by the constitutional responsibility of protecting citizens safety and welfare,” they declare.